Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side
by ThroneofLight4
Summary: Set between TLO and TLH. It's winter break and Percy is going on a three-week long date with Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood. They get attacked by a dragon and it manages to possess Percy. Every night, Percy must endure his transformation into a dragon. Seeing the graveness in this situation, they go on a quest to find the cure while trying to balance his other half.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

**_ Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side_**

** Chapter 1: My First Date Takes a Dark Turn **

** Percy **

Percy was excited. He was going to see Annabeth who he hasn't seen since the Titan War. She had sent an Iris-message telling him to meet her at camp. They were starting winter break early so he figured that they had about three weeks together and he didn't plan to waste it.

Percy hurriedly packed his things and stuffed it in his backpack. He headed down to the kitchen where his mom was cooking his breakfast. He finished his blue eggs and waffles then stood up and headed for the door.

"Did you get everything? Deodorant? Extra drachmas, in case something goes wrong" said his mother. "Mom!" He laughed. "I'm going on a three-week long date, what can go wrong?"

Mom bit her lip, probably remembering the time when he got attacked by cannibal giants and immediately went to camp. "Okay then, good luck."

"Bye mom!" He replied. He turned the knob and stepped out into the day-lit streets of Manhattan.

He reached the corner of Thomas and Trimble. Annabeth and him had gone there before, after he was attacked by Laistrygonians. He wasn't sure if this worked anywhere else. He fished out a drachma. He said the command to summon the Gray Sisters taxi service and threw the coin into the street. The coin sank through the road and disappeared. The usual smoky taxi appeared. The passenger window rolled down and an old woman stuck her head out. "Passage? Passage?" Percy leaned forward.

"One to Camp Half-Blood" he replied and got inside. "And make it quick" he added.

The familiar hill and pine tree with Peleus curled around it, snoring steam that was melting the snow off the tree, came into view. On the lowest bough hung the Golden Fleece and there was Annabeth waiting with her blonde hair flowing in the chilly winter air. Percy got out of the car hastily. A little_ too_hastily. He tripped and fell on his face. He got up and spit grass and frost out of his mouth. He made his way up the hill and into Annabeth's arms. Peleus raised his head but went back to sleep. "I missed you" he said as they pulled away. "Me too, Seaweed Brain" she said, smirking at him. They kissed and purposely fell down the hill with a few campers gaping at them.

After falling down a hill and kissing, Percy thought he was ready for anything. Since the war was over, Tyson was in his cabin doing his cleaning routine. Everything looked the same except one thing that wasn't there before. A painting of the war hung above the seawater fountain. He was at a loss of words. "When did you learn to paint?" he asked in awe. Tyson frowned then said, "Classes here" he replied and continued his work. Percy tried to picture Tyson as a famous Italian painter complete with the odd cap and a mustache. "The painter with one eye" he chuckled to himself quietly. Tyson frowned. "What?" he asked. "Nothing" he replied. He helped Tyson finish cleaning up. "I'm going to try out the other activities, try to learn something new" said Tyson. Percy smiled. "Go for it".

Percy went to the sword-fighter's arena to kill dummies. Even in the cold, he was sweating. He felt a shiver down his neck and that was not the cold. Percy spun around, sword point to Nico's throat. "Oh, it's you" he said. He lowered his sword.

Nico brushed himself off. "I shouldn't have done that," Nico said, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Have you had any weird dreams?" Nico asked cautiously. "About what?" Percy asked, mystified. "Dreams about…a dragon." Nico said. Percy felt like he was electrocuted. "Why?" Percy said cautiously.

"I have this bad feeling and it has to do with a dragon" Nico replied, hand gripping his sword. Percy shuddered. _Could it be...Nah it couldn't be,_ he thought.

A week ago, Percy had a dream about a dragon indeed. But the dragon _was_ him. He had woken up in cold sweat checking over and over that he was not a dragon. He hadn't told his mom about it for fear that his mom would worry and that was the last thing he wanted. He had tried to keep it out of his mind.

"Do you know anything about it?" Nico asked. "Nothing" he lied. Nico studied his face but said nothing. "Come, walk with me" he insisted.

Percy and Nico tramped through the woods. "Where have you been all this time?" Percy asked as he brushed a branch away from his face. Nico's expression hardened. "The underworld" he replied after a few seconds. "Did something happen?" Percy asked. "Olympus is...closed" Nico forced out. Percy stopped. "What?" Percy said incredously. "It just closed, I haven't had any contact with the gods, not even with my dad" Nico said.

"Does Annabeth know?" Percy asked. "Yes" Nico replied. "Why hasn't she told me of this?" Percy said, speaking more to himself than to Nico. "She didn't want to worry you. Especially on your date" Nico replied. Percy cheeks hottened. "You know all about that?" Percy asked. Nico smirked. "Everything" he replied. "You're as sneaky as a shadow," Percy said, rolling his eyes.

They continued on through the forest till they reached the beach and Zeus's fist. In the distance, a conch horn blew for lunch "Well, I'll be going then" Nico said. "Good luck" Percy replied. Nico turned into a shadow and disappeared. Percy turned and headed for lunch.

Percy and Tyson lined up in front of their cabin. The cabins filed into the open-air pavilion and sat at their respective tables. As Percy sat down, he caught sight of Annabeth winking at him from the Athena table. Some Athena girls gave a whoop.

Everyone got up and grabbed the best on their plate and threw it into the fire. Percy threw most of his food into the fire. He didn't have much of an appetite. He sat back down with only a slightly brown-spotted apple and a slice of Olympian pizza. He asked his goblet for blue coke and started drinking.

Lunch gave him too much time to think and that's what he didn't want right now. The dream kept coming back to him and he didn't realize his knuckles were white from squeezing the goblet. "Is something wrong?" said a voice next to him. Percy jumped but he realized it was just Tyson who had a worried look on his face. "No, nothing is wrong" Percy replied a little _too_ quickly. "You seem angry...and worried about something" Tyson said. "No, I'm not" Percy lied. Tyson frowned but didn't say anything more. Percy began to eat his pizza and apple so Tyson wouldn't worry.

Olympus is closed and the dream of him turning into a water dragon didn't seem connected. Percy knew something else, something bigger caused Olympus to close but he he didn't know what it is. He didn't want to think about it.

The cabins went to do their activities. Percy climbed up the lava wall then again, went to kill dummies. After that he decided to go to the creek and rinse the sweat off him. The birds chirped and crickets made their own sound. Percy threw water at his face over and over again. Percy went back to his cabin and lay down on his bed.

Percy thought about Annabeth. It was winter and he wanted to go somewhere with Annabeth. He thought about Central Park. It was beautiful place to visit in the winter. It was close to his mom's apartment. He wanted to go today at night but there was a curfew for everyone. He had to ask Annabeth and Chiron now before it was too late. Darkness was falling quickly. No time to lose.

Percy first went to the Athena cabin. He knocked twice and the face Malcolm appeared. "Oh it's you" Malcolm said. "Is Annabeth here?" Percy asked, attempting to look behind Malcolm. "She's not here right now" Malcolm replied. "Do you know where she is?" Percy asked. "I think she said she was going to the canoe lake" Malcolm replied. "Thank you" Percy said. He raced off to the canoe lake.

He found Annabeth sitting cross-legged at the edge of the water staring at Daedalus's laptop. "Hi" Percy said casually. She almost threw the laptop into the water. "Percy!" Annabeth yelled angrily. She put the laptop down on the sand and stood up to face him. She took out her knife and pointed it at him. "Don't you _ever_ do that again!" Annabeth growled. Percy could tell she was really angry. He holded up his hands in surrender. Annabeth frowned and put the knife back in her pocket. "You smell like you bathed in a creek" Annabeth said. "I did" Percy replied. They busted out laughing. The tension broke.

It took a while for him and Annabeth to calm down. She smiled at him. Percy felt a flutter in his stomach. "You are such a Seaweed Brain" she smirked. They sat down together at the edge of the surf. "So what did you want to talk about?" Annabeth asked. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to Central Park with me" Percy said, holding her gaze. Seconds passed, then Annabeth slapped him in the back of the head. "Of course I want to go with you" she said. "But we have a curfew, we have to tell Chiron" Percy said. "Let's go" Annabeth said, standing up and picking the laptop up from the sand. Percy stood up and followed her to the Athena cabin.

They dropped of the laptop and wandered around the camp looking for Chiron. They stopped by the Big House and knocked. Chiron opened up the door. He was in a wheelchair. "Ah, it's you, come in, come in" Chiron said opening the door.

Chiron served them hot chocolate. "Ahhh... these mortal drinks are refreshing" Chiron said putting down his empty cup. Chiron faced them. "So, what do you want to tell me" he said, studying them. Percy explained their trip. Chiron frowned. "It's still quite dangerous out there, especially for you two" he said. He looked around him. His eyes bored into them. "I will let you go but I strongly suggest that you both be careful." Thank you!" They blurted out, relieved.

They took some food from the kitchen in a box, some ambrosia, drachmas, mittens, scarf's, water bottles, and a blanket. They stuffed it into their backpacks. They decided to take the _Chariot of Damnation_ to Central Park and they arrived there in no time.

There were a lot of people. Kids made snow angels and had snow fights while parents sat at benches reading newspapers, keeping one eye on their newspaper and the other eye on their kids. The trees were decorated with Christmas lights and it cast a brilliant light in the night sky. Percy and Annabeth walked around, searching for a good place to settle down. They found a lake and decided to settle their.

They ate and drank their water bottles as they stared out to the moon-lit lake. Annabeth sighed. "This is relaxing, no monsters to disturb us..." she said. "You can't be sure, Wise Girl" Percy warned. Their eyes met. "Well, let's enjoy it while we can" she replied. "That sounds like a plan worthy of Athena" Percy said, grinning. They kissed and Percy was enjoying it. _This_, he could definitely get use to.

But Percy didn't see the dragon forming slowly in the water, waiting for its prey.

**A/N: So that is the first chapter of **_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side.**_ **It took me a while but I enjoyed it. If I take a long time to update, please excuse me. It's school and I'm typing this on a 3-day weekend. I hope you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclamier: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and character from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 2: The Feeling**

**Percy**

Percy felt it before he heard it. He felt the tide go faster. There was something in the water. He couldn't explain it. He could only say "Monster!" And throw himself onto Annabeth and roll away before the water erupted and splashed forcefully right were they were sitting a few seconds ago.

Percy could see the water forming into a funnel and red eyes staring at him. He untangled himself from Annabeth and stared at the funnel as it began to form, horrified. In a few seconds, it was a solid dragon.

Percy's heart leapt. It was the dragon in his dream. The one he turned into. The dragon was an incarnation of the sea. It was easily 15 feet tall. It's tail was a fish tail the shape of a trident. It's claws webbed. The scales gleamed like the ocean water. Something wavy was coming out if it's side, green and blue and waving like the ocean breeze. It's belly scales gleamed gold. It's face, well, a dragon's.

Percy was shivering in fear. Annabeth didn't look much better. "I've never seen a dragon like that" she whispered. They stood up and brought out their weapons. The dragon roared and...disappeared? It changed into water and jumped over their head's. They turned and it was there. It swung it's tail. Percy rolled back but Annabeth wasn't that lucky. The tail slammed into her ribs and sent her flying into the lake with a splash.

Percy knew that the dragon's had it's attention to him. The quarrel was with him. "Is that how you want to play then!" He yelled angrily at the dragon. "Well, lets do it!" He raised his sword and charged.

People screamed and fled the park. Percy slashed at the dragon's belly but Riptide bounced off with spark's. It swiped at him with it's tail. He ducked and rolled away as the dragon slammed his clawed fist where he was a second ago. Percy summoned a wave and it slammed into the dragon.

He jumped onto a wave and aimed to slam it in the face with the butt of his sword but the dragon knew what he was doing and blew fire at him.

It didn't miss. Heat suffocated him but the wave he was on immediatley doused him. He was glad the fire didn't manage to burn his clothes. Percy was disoriented and the dragon used that opportunity to slam him in the ribs with his tail.

Percy flew and slammed onto the hard sidewalk. Percy attempted to stand but he yelled in pain. His ribs were clearly broken. All he could do was watch helplessly as the dragon approached him. It changed into water and went straight into his chest and sunk through.

Percy screamed and rolled around in pain. He convulsed and his vision was tinged red with pain. His blood felt like it was on fire. Something was spreading through him. He realized it was the dragon, spreading through him, corrupting him. He suffered as the dragon seeped through him like a virus.

Percy fainted under the lamposts with no help in sight.

**A/N: I know this chapter was short but I didn't want to make you wait. Annabeth's POV next chapter. Hope you liked it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 3: My Nightmare Becomes True**

**Annabeth**

When Annabeth finally crawled out of the lake, the park was quiet. She heard only the crickets and... groaning? She tried to stand but fell back with a yelp. Some of her ribs were broken she could tell.

Annabeth looked around. No sign that a dragon was here except fallen Christmas lights. She squinted and made out a form on the asphalt. She rose to her knees with a lot of effort. With this view, she could definitely make out a human form.

Annabeth crawled painfully slow towards the form. "Percy?" No response. She could tell it was Percy.

He was in a bad-state. His eyes were rolled up into his skull and his breathing was rapid but ragged, like every breath hurt him. A lined smudge of soot was on his cheek like war paint. He shivered occassionily.

Annabeth played doctor. She felt his chest for a heart beat. He gasped. Yup, his ribs were broken. His heart beat was weak as well.

Despair clawed her throat. She choked back a sob. _Don't cry. You need to find something that can help him,_ she chided to herself in her head. Were was the backpack? There was ambrosia in there.

She saw the backpack a few yards away. She got it and brought out the Ziploc bag of ambrosia squares. It was a bit cracked around the edges but it was fine. She broke off the edges of a square and ate it. Warmth spread through her and she felt her ribs mending. She'll be fine for know as long as she doesn't move quickly.

Annabeth wondered if he could eat it fainted. With two fingers, she opened his mouth and dropped a fine amount of ambrosia. He swallowed and shuddered. Percy's eyes fluttered open but something was wrong. His eyes were still the same color but it was glowing.

For a few seconds, they were staring at each other but Percy's eyes seemed unfocused. Then he lunged at her. Annabeth was stunned. Percy raised his sword for the kill, his glowing eyes blazing but he blinked and the glow faded.

Percy lunged back. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me, I felt evil" Percy explained.

He yelped in pain and for a few seconds he was staring at his hand. Annabeth didn't see what was happening immediatly but she began to see that his hand was turning into dragon claws but it faded instantly. His hand was his hand.

"My nightmare has come true" Percy whispered. "What nightmare?" Annabeth asked, utterly perplexed. "Nothing" he replied but Annabeth could tell it was _not_ nothing. Percy lifted his head to look at her and she saw an expression she did not recogonize. It was something like fear but of something else.

Annabeth grimaced. She wanted to know more but Percy had an expression that told her if she pushed him, he would weep and he _rarely_ did that.

"Let's get you into a taxi' she said. Annabeth stood up and holded out her hand. Percy stared at her hand then at his hand. Percy took her hand and together, they trudged out of the park, called a taxi and left with a million questions in her head.

**A/N: Yup, Chapter 3 people. Next chapter, Percy and Annabeth find out what exactly attacked Percy. Thank you to the people who have the time to review! I don't really know what to put on here so bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 4: I Dance with a Dragon**

**Percy**

It had started to rain. Percy looked glumly out of the taxi window. His dream had come true. He couldn't hide it for much longer. Wise Girl already suspected something. He was magnet of trouble.

Percy knew his mother would find out sooner or later. What would she thing of Percy being a hybrid human-dragon? He didn't want to think about it.

He had a splitting headache and it didn't seem it would go away anytime soon. His blood still felt like it was on fire. His ribs throbbed every time he breathed.

The trip to Camp Half-Blood felt agonizingly slow. Percy wondered how she would pay for this. He didn't know why she picked a mortal taxi.

Percy's question was answered immediatly when they arrived. Annabeth pulled out a green card. He realized it was the same green card they got at the Lotus Casino where they just bearly escaped the place. The cabbie's jaw dropped at the infinite symbol. Before the guy could say anything, Percy and Annabeth were already out of the taxi. The taxi sped away.

The wind had picked up speed and the cold increased. It rained harder and thunder illuminated the sky. "Calm down, Zeus," Percy muttered under his breath. Annabeth stared at him but didn't say anything.

They reached the top of the hill. It didn't rain in the camp since they had a barrier that keeped out mortals and monsters away, and blocked weather from entering if desired. The open air pavilion was filled with light. It was dinner.

Percy stepped forward. Big mistake. An invisible force almost made him fall down the hill like a rag doll. "Percy!" Annabeth reached out to him only to almost fall down the hill herself. Percy tried again but he was pushed back. Why wasn't it letting him in? Then realization dawned on him.

"I need your permission to enter camp" he said to Annabeth. She had an expression of intense thinking. "I, Annabeth Chase, hereby permit you to enter" she said firmly. Percy stepped in. Nothing happened. Percy exhaled.

He almost began to start down the hill but a growl peirced the air. Percy whirled around.

He saw a very angry Peleus. Smoke signals steamed. The dragon's eyes were murderous. He looked ready to attack. Before Percy could react, the dragon pounced, sending demigod and dragon down the hill.

Percy was getting sick of dragons. Percy fell down the hill one time with Annabeth and it was fun but another time with a heavy dragon on your chest, not fun. With that being said, the dragon and him bounced and rolled down the hill.

Percy was on his back at the foot of the hill, the wind taken out of him. A second later, the dragon landed on him. That threw his ribs out of wack again. Percy almost blacked out. He writhed in pain. Then he felt the weight was off.

Through the spots and the red in his vision, he saw the eyes of Peleus staring at him coldly. Percy's memories of Peleus came to him. The times he fed him. The one time that he played ball with him which ended up with a counseler having his eyebrows scorched who unfortunitely, was the counseler of the Aphrodite cabin, Drew. She slapped him in the face which hurt.

"Remember, Peleus" he whispered. Then he blacked out.

**Annabeth**

Annabeth was shocked at the sudden turn of events. Peleus had attacked Percy. She snapped out of her shock. She had to get down there. Percy needed her help. She jumped off the hill.

She saw Peleus raising his claws for the kill. Percy was helpless and unconscious. "PELEUS, STOOOOOP!" she yelled. Peleus craned his neck to look at her. "Leave him alone!" she said firmly.

For a second, she thought Peleus was going to ignore her and kill Percy but the dragon pulled away. "Face me" she commanded. Annabeth approached the dragon. Peleus did nothing. She rubbed him from behind the ears, Peleus's favorite spot. Peleus closed his eyes dreamily content.

"Go now and protect the fleece, maybe I'll bring you some dragon fruit" she said. The dragon went up the hill and got himself comfy around the tree. In a few seconds, he was fast asleep as if nothing had happened.

Obedience school had been of great use even with mystical dragons.

Annabeth rushed to Percy's side. Again, he was in bad shape. She wasn't even sure if Percy was alive. _Don't think like that, _Annabeth chided to herself.

She wondered why no one had heard anything. Surely they would have noticed something going on but since the war was over, the campers were oblivious most likely. But then again, it was dinner and the pavilion was far away from the hill as well.

Annabeth carefully, heaved Percy on her shoulder. She staggered. _Man,_ Percy was heavy! She straightened the best she could.

She ran towards the lighted pavilion with tears in her eyes.

**A/N: I know that I said last chapter that they would find-out what exactly attacked Percy but I decided to put this in. Thank you to the people who have the time to review. **

**Happy Thanksgiving!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO. H20 (hahah!)**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 5: Interrogation and Bad News**

**Annabeth**

When Annabeth reached the Pavilion, everyone quieted. She heard the clatter of silverware on their plates. Everyone turned to face her.

For a moment, everything was quiet, only the crackle of the hearth fire could be heard. Then there was an outburst of voices.

"Is that Percy?"

"Oh my gods! What happened?"

"NO!"

"Oh my gods, is that Percy? He looks so _hot_ even when he's hurt!"

That last comment came from the Aphrodite cabin. Annabeth was about to use her _death glare_ but thought better of it.

The Pavilion rang with all the voices that Chiron had to step in. "Silence!" He yelled, pounding his hoof. The crod stopped. Everyone turned to face him.

Chiron clopped towards Annabeth. "We'll discuss this in the Big House" he said quietly. He turned to the crowd. "All of you, continue eating!"

They walked out of the pavilion, into the cold, without another word and everyone staring at them as they left.

By the time they reached the Big House, her shoulder was asleep with Percy's weight. Was it her? Or was Percy getting heavier?

Annabeth took away all the ping-pong balls off the table then she put him on the ping-pong table. She knew it wasn't very comfortable but there was no beds in the Big House. Percy's head lolled to his side and he began to drool.

Annabeth took a seat. "Tell me everything" demanded Chiron. And so, she told him everything including a description of the dragon and the suspicion that she found hard to talk about.

Annabeth felt sick to to her stomach. She wanted it to be untrue but she knew she was right. The dragon possesed Percy.

Chiron seemed to have aged ten years. "If your suspicion is true, this is _very_ bad news. Percy and the camp is in danger. This monster is part of course, dragon and eidolon-"

"Part what?" she interrupted. "Eidolon, possessing spirits" he replied. "This means that the dragon is spreading though him. Percy has most likely three weeks before he is completely taken over by this _dragon_. I don't know what may happen now but we have to find the cure for this but now, Percy must rest. Take him to his cab-". He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Annabeth opened the door and she saw one very worried satyr. "Grover?" she gasped. "Is Percy all right?" he asked, then he frowned. "Is there a monster in there?"

Annabeth didn't want to do this but she had no choice. "Bye," she said, then she slammed the door in his face."Annabeth!" He pounded on the door but she did not answer him. She heard a sniffle then the clip-clop of his hooves receding.

Annabeth sat and buried her face in her hands, sobbing then she felt someone carrying her and she drifted into the symphony of unconciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 6: Dragon-Headed Percy**

**Percy**

Percy awoke to blinding light. His eyes adjusted and what he saw was surprising. He could see everything to the tiniest detail. He realized he was in his cabin.

His sense of smell had also improved to that of a wolf's.

His hearing had improved as well. The chirps of birds was clear and he heard a lot of movement outside but it was intertwined with the sound of pat, pat, pat. Percy listened more to the sound and realized it was the sound of heartbeat.

Panic started building in his chest when a voice right next to his ear said, "Good morning, Seaweed Brain."

Percy yelped like an injured puppy because of his improvement in hearing and fell of the bed. "Are you okay?" She said.

"The hell am I okay!" He said angrily. He groaned in pain. His head had hit the other bed metal legs and his head felt as if it were splitting in half.

Anger towards Annabeth was building in his chest. Then a new pain wracked his head and arms.

The pain was indescribable. It felt like something was trying to break free of his skin. The sudden searing pain left him with no air. He felt as if he were drowning. As quickly as it came, the pain faded.

He lay there, trying to regain his air.

His eyes wandered to his hands. Percy was about to cry out in alarm. He had the claws of a dragon. His arms had also transformed. They were beefier and stronger. His skin was scaly and was as rough as sandpaper.

His forked tongue flicked out in front of him. He felt fangs as well. He glanced at himself in the mirror. Only his head and arms had tranformed into a dragon's. Glowing sea-green reptilian eyes stared back at him from the mirror.

He stood up shakily and faced Annabeth. She screamed. She tried to open the door but it was locked. She fumbled with the lock but it seemed she was having some trouble. Percy could hear her heartbelt going wild.

"Annabethhhhhhhhhhhh" he said, his tongue flicking out. He was surprised that his voice was still the same, only, his forked tongue made him sound snakish.

Annabeth stopped fumbling with the lock and turned to face him, her eyes wild with fear.

"It'ssssssssssssssss me" Percy said. "Percy?" She asked uncertaintly. It may have been only a whisper too faint but Percy could hear it. He nodded his dragon head.

She stepped forward ever so slowly. Her hand reached out to touch his face. Percy bowed his head. Annabeth put her hand on his scaly cheek. Percy stared at her. Annabeth studied him.

She removed her hand. Annabeth stared at him right into his eyes. Her storm-grey eyes softened and she said, "You make one _hot_ dragon". She smirked at him.

She must have seen the surprise in his face because she laughed. "Come on, Dragon Brain, let's get you some breakfast," she said. She grabbed his scaly claw, opened the lock, and led him outside.

He was no longer Seaweed Brain. He was now Dragon Brain and he was just fine with it.

They held hands as Percy changed back to himself and walked towards the pavilion as if nothing had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO. **

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

** Chapter 7: The First Transformation**

**Percy**

First thing he noticed as he sat down at his table was the hushed whispers and everyone's eyes on him and the pointing hands. His improvement in hearing allowed him to hear what everyone was saying and he didn't like it.

Same thing with Annabeth. Her cabin mates bombed her with questions. She looked extremely uncomfortable. Luckily for Percy, there was only one person besides from him that sit at his table and that was Tyson.

He noticed a lot of new faces this year. He made the gods promise to claim their children before the age of 13 when they start getting noticed by monsters so it was getting crowded.

After burning their offerings to the gods, Percy sat down with his breakfast. He had also ordered a whole dragon fruit.

He tried it before but he never liked it because of it's bitterness. He always thought it tasted like a combination of plain mayo, mustard, and if you concentrated enough on the flavor, it also had a hint of kiwi.

The interior did look like a kiwi but it was grey instead of green.

Instead of cutting it with his knife, he went for the messy way. So no one noticed anything, he only transformed his index finger. It was painful but he managed to cut the fruit cleanly in half with his sharp nail.

He changed it back and from there, he started peeling it. He tried it and to his amazement, tasted like nothing he had ever tried before. It tasted much different than before. Now _this _was his soul food. He felt like he got a dose of ambrosia. Warmth spread through him from head to toe. After that, he munched on it happily.

He started on his whole-wheat pancakes when he glanced at Tyson and was surprised that he hadn't eaten anything. He looked scared. _Really_ scared. He seemed afraid to look at him. Tyson glanced at Percy then turned away. He seemed to be fiddling with something.

"Tyson," he said but Tyson did not turn. "Tyson," he said more insistently. Still nothing. "Tyssssssssssssssson!" He hissed angrily as his tongue flicked out from me. He clapped a hand over his mouth.

Tyson broke into tears. He cried and sniffled loudly. Everyone turned to stare at him. _Stupid, _he thought to himself.

Percy inched closer to him. Tyson inched farther away from him with his breakfast. Anger builded in his chest but he forced it down. Percy didn't want to risk everyone seeing him seeing him as dragon-headed Percy.

Percy grabbed his wrist and forced Tyson to face him. His frightened eye made his stomach roll. Tyson tried turned his eye away from him. "Look at me!" he growled.

Before he realized what he did, Tyson yanked his arm and Percy went flying into the air. He landed with a sickening crunch onto the Athena table.

That was when things went very wrong. Anger got to him faster than he could stop it. Pain wracked his entire body but he felt a tug at his leg. All together, the pain and anger dissipitated.

He turned and it was Annabeth._ No, _she mouthed. He saw everyone'sshocked faces and embarrassment replaced his anger. He jumped off the table and fled the pavilion.

* * *

Percy plopped down at the edge of the creek. He couldn't believe how easily he lost control back there. He splashed his face and cleaned the back of his camp T-shirt with the cold water of the creek.

He thought about Tyson and his fear. Then, it hit him like a bucket if freezing water. Tyson could smell monsters. Obviously, the dragon inside him made him smell like one. He was almost tempted to check if his armpit's smell like fish.

The same will be true with Grover who can also smell monster's as well. Then another question struck him. Where was Grover?

Grover would be afraid of him. He'll think he would lose control and eat him. Grover was always afraid of monster's . . . .

Percy made a dragon out of water and let it fall back into the creek. He practiced his powers over water for a while. It took him off his thoughts for a bit anyway. He wondered how long he was there until a voice behind him said, "Percy?".

He turned. "Grover?"

"You missed lunch," Grover said. He tossed him a bag full of food. "Thanks" Percy said.

"What happened with you and Annabeth while you were off?" He asked cautiously. Percy's stomach rolled.

"You should know already," was all he said.

Grover gave a jumpy laugh. "Oh Chiron? He didn't tell me anything. All I know is that-"

"Do you smell anything odd... like a monster" Percy interrupted him warily. Grover sniffed the air than realization crossed his face. "Oh my gods, what happened?" Grover asked, clearly shocked.

"This happened." Percy raised his hand and with all his concentration. his hand morphed into blue dragon claws. Grover yelled and jumped back.

The yell hurt Percy's ears but he tried not to show it. "You're not going to eat me, are you?" he whimpered.

Percy laughed. "Of course not. You wouldn't taste good raw," he teased. "Unless I cook you with my fire breath, sprinkle some rosemary and you're basic herbs and seasonings then, there you have it. Whole seasoned cooked satyr," Percy grinned at Grover's horrified face.

Percy immediately felt guilty and apologized. Grover looked like he was going to cry.

Grover calmed down long enough to say, "Annabeth is looking for you. She's worried sick," Grover managed to choke out.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Let's go!"

He stood up and ran out of the woods with Grover at his heels as the sun cast its final hour of light over the camp.

A few minutes later, they were out of woods. They looked around but they did not need to. Annabeth was lumbering over to them with an expression of utmost anger. "Thanks Grover" she said. Grover nodded, muttered, "This is going to get ugly," and left.

Then she turned her whole attention to Percy. "How dare you! You worried me halfway to Hades! Do have any idea-"

"Hey!", Percy said angrily. "I had to calm myself down! I would have transformed right there in the pavilion! Tyson would be afraid of me forever! Everyone here would be afraid of me! Do you have any idea how I will feel!"

Annabeth looked shocked. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I just feel . . . _different,_" he admitted. Percy held up the lunch bag. "Hungry?"

They headed to the sword-fighter's arena. Percy ate his lunch as Annabeth hacked at the dummies with her knife. "How about we duel?" Annabeth asked Percy. He could see that she was bored but he wasn't feeling up to it tonight. "Not today, Wise Girl," he replied. She grumbled and continued to hack at the dummies half-heartedly.

Percy finished his lunch and stuffed the bag in his pocket. He knew better than to litter. He would wake up with creepy crawlers all over him.

He practiced with Annabeth until they decided to take a break. Percy stood up and looked up at the sky. Darkness was almost upon them. The moon was unusually bright tonight as if it warning him of something but he could not figure it out. He felt something stir within him, like a valcano ready to erupt.

In the distance, the conch horn sounded signaling dinner. Annabeth stood up. "Let's go," she said. She walked away. Percy was about to follow when a sudden pain brought him to his knees then he crumpled to the ground in agony.

**Annabeth**

Annabeth walked on expecting Percy right by her side but he wasn't there. "Aren't you coming?" she asked without looking back. No response. She turned and gasped.

The sight that met her eyes was astonishing. She has seen movies like _Van_ _Helsing_ were a person turns into a werewolf and she can honestly say it looked like that only; he changed into something else other than a werewolf. A dragon to be exact.

The transformation was much slower than in the cabin but this time it was the full treatment. The sight of seeing Percy in so much agony was painful. Every scream slashed her heart like a scythe but strangely, she did not cry but only watched on warily.

Percy's skin was tearing away before her eyes as gleaming blue scales replaced it. He was getting taller. His head elongated into snapping jaws as he sprouted fangs. The pupil of his eyes went vertical like a snakes. His head finally sculpted into dragons head. His shirt ripped open revealing lined bronze scales. A tail poked out of his jeans.

Annabeth knew it was going to get ugly after that so she averted her eyes. After a few minutes, the screaming stopped and low but strong, shallow breathing met her ears.

She opened her eyes and then she was looking at a 20-feet tall true-blue dragon even taller than the one back in Central Park.

For a few seconds, they were staring at each other. Annabeth realized that the dragon that stood before her _was _Percy. She was transfixed. Her voice and muscles seemed to fail her. Then something caught his attention and Dragon-Percy charged its fire breath but it seemed that he was aiming at something above her head.

Annabeth did not move. Her mind was saying, _move it! _However, her muscles were saying, _not yet!_

Just as Dragon-Percy was going to toast her with a cannonball of fire, a voice from somewhere close to her yelled, "Move!" And with a force like a bull, she was tackled to the ground.

The fire was let loose as it shot a missile of heat at a tree. A naiad appeared next to the tree and tried to put out the fire with her dress.

The person that saved her life was none other than Clarisse Larue. Clarisse brought out her electric spear and charged at Dragon-Percy. Then Annabeth realized it _was_ Clarisse he was aiming at, not her.

The scene became flooded with all the campers, accompanied by Chiron. As soon as he saw what was happening, he seemed to have aged ten years. What happened next was chaos. Chiron seized some chains nearby and spun it like a lasso and threw it. The counselors' grabbed more chains and threw it all around Percy. Clarisse rolled away to avoid being caught in the chains.

Dragon-Percy fought against the chains but was unable to break free or he wasn't trying hard enough. He stared at her with a pleading look in his reptilan eyes. Clarisse jumped over him and raised her spear, ready for the kill. "Noooooooooo! It's Percy! Don't kill him! He just transformed into a dragon! Don't kill him!" Annabeth screamed at them.

Everything stopped and everyone's eyes turned towards her. Clarisse sheathed her spear but she still had a mad glint in her eyes.

A ragged voice right next to her ear said, "I'm sorry, Annabeth but I have to do this," then she was hit by a pan and she fell sideways to the ground, no longer moving.

**A/N: I know I haven't been updating much often but I had to 2 project's to complete. Even on winter break, I had some trouble trying to type my stories. My dad doesn't want to stay home so we have been out lately. I don't have a laptop like my sister and one of our computers won't work so I decided to use the my dad's computer on his permission. I can't say when I'll put up another chapter but I hope its soon. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and character from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 8: The Reverse Transformation**

**Annabeth**

Annabeth woke and she had a visitor. The sight that greeted her when she woke up was so odd and out of place that she was sure that, she had a glazed look on her face.

It was Clarisse. "Good, you're awake" she said as she handed her a warm cup of hot chocolate. Annabeth did not reply until she had drained the cup. She looked around and she realized she was in the infirmary.

Outside was snowing hard and the candlelight cast ghostly shadows across the walls. Everything was quiet. An eerie quiet. Even the storm outside seemed strangely drowned out as if the whole place was holding its breath. A quick glance at her watch told her it was 6:54 A.M.

"Has Percy changed back?" Annabeth asked. "Last time I checked, he hasn't changed," she replied.

"How long ago?"

Clarisse glanced at her watch. "Three hours ago if I remember correctly."

"I need to see him" Annabeth tugged on her sneakers and grabbed a stray cloak. She turned. "Don't try to stop me." With a swish of her cloak, she headed into the snowy night.

Annabeth headed towards the arena. The lookout, Chris Rodriguez tried to stop her but she pushed him off. Dragon-Percy lifted his head and stared coldly at her.

Annabeth stared back. "Oh Percy, curse your dragon brain."

She was about to leave with the thought of him never turning back, when Dragon-Percy tilted his head to the side and looked up at something behind her. She turned.

The sun was creeping over the tops of the forest. The snow had stopped. The sun illuminated the camp. She looked back at Percy. The hazy golden light shined over him and he changed

His snapping jaws flattened into a nose and lips as his fangs grew smaller and smaller. The pupils of his eyes changed back and his sea-green eyes replaced it. The bronze belly scales disappeared exposing his chest and abs. He grew smaller and smaller then _Pop!_ Percy was himself.

Unfortunately, he was naked. He was lying face down on the snow so she could see his rear end. Annabeth almost screamed like a little girl. Her cheeks burned. She thought she would faint.

Percy was about to rise when she screamed, "No! Stay where you are!"

He stayed where he was. He then realized why she had said that. His face went the color of prunes, whatever that meant.

Annabeth swung around and marched to the Poseidon cabin. She knew it is forbidden to enter a cabin that is not of your godly parent but at the time, she forgot that one rule.

She entered and stormed into his room. It was quite beautiful. At least he did not have a stone owl staring at him from his bed. She did not pay attention much to the cabin as she flung through his drawers. Annabeth pulled out the clothes at random.

She walked out and trudged towards the arena. She threw the clothes to him. She turned around and crossed her arms.

A minute later, Percy appeared next to her. "Thanks" he said breathless. "Whatever" she replied gruffly.

"Look, I didn't ask to be like this-"

"It's not you; it's that monster inside you that makes me _sick._" Annabeth stared at him.

"Don't you feel . . . violated" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, you mean the dragon? Well yeah. He invaded my body and turned me into a fish dragon and the venom did not taste good, then next thing I know, I am laying facedown on the ground naked. So yes, I feel violated."

Percy turned to stare at her. "I'm just glad you're okay," he said as he tentavily pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

Annabeth smiled.

"I feel . . . tired"

"That transformation must have took a lot out of you"

"Yeah. So tired. Don't wake me up." Percy slumped and leaned onto her breathing softly.

"Again?" Annabeth heaved Percy's weight onto her shoulder once more. Her shoulder ached in protest. Annabeth headed towards the Poseidon cabin. She tucked him into bed but at one moment, he seemed to twitch.

"Sweet dreams," she said and went to the door and headed towards the Big House. Annabeth needed to have a little talk to Chiron.

**Percy**

Percy did not know how far he was into his sleep when a cold voice pierced the darkness. "Killllllllllllllllllllllllll . . ." The voice seemed to coil around his brain.

In the darkness, he could tell he was moving fast. Then he was in some sort of stadium. He could hear a crowd of people. He realized it was all the campers.

The top of the stadium had bars crossed over all around like a dome. Through the bars, he could see the sky. Night was falling. Torches crossed the stadium.

He tried to stand but he was pulled back. He raised his hands and saw chains on his wrists. The crowd whooped and jeered as they saw the dark and the moon. Percy saw it too. The moon was fresh in the sky; it was only a matter of time before. . .

Pain ran through him. The fresh taste of venom greeted him. His teeth sharpened into fangs and his face elongated. He grew claws and the chains popped off. He could feel gills across his throat. The scales wrapped him up in armor and soon he was not Percy anymore.

His thoughts were more primitive. He was hungry. _Very_ hungry.

A conch horn sounded and Chiron appeared at the top balcony looking down at him. "Ladies and gentleman, I present you the monster that is Percy," Chiron said through a microphone. "Now I have given this golden chance to a camper to have the honor to kill this dragon. And this camper is the one and only, Clarisse Larue!" Sure enough, Clarisse appeared as she waved to rowdy crowd. The door through which she came through came down and blocked the door.

No way in and no way out, that is how Percy liked it. _A tasty meal for me, _he thought. He grabbed the broken chains and sharpened his claws with it. "Ready, GO!" Chiron roared.

It seemed that everything had slowed down. He heard the stadium go quiet with baited breath. Clarisse roared and charged but even that had slowed down.

At the exact moment when they were about to collide, he felt something pull at him from behind then Percy woke up. Standing over him half-hidden in shadow, was Nico and he did not seem happy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO. **

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

** Chapter 9: Nico's Misunderstanding**

**Percy**

"Er, hello?" He said unsure of what to say. "A man needs some privacy now and then," he groaned. His muscles were aching painfully. Nico grinned malovently. "I know what you're hiding besides," Nico paused, grinning at him broadly now with a crazed look in his eyes. "You don't need privacy when I am finished with you." _Finished_ with me. That didn't sound good.

From over Nico's shoulder the sun was quickly lowering down over the trees of the woods. _Again_? He must have slept through the whole day. "You need to leave. Now. You don't want see me when the sun goes down." Percy sat up expecting Nico to leave but he did not move. "I'm not leaving and neither are you."

Percy was so tired he said something like, "Go take a walk," and turned over. Nico laughed without humor. "I know that you are dragon," Nico's voice seemed to echo on the word _Dragon_ around the cabin. Percy turned. "Man, you have such a big ego. I guess you have your sources," he said. At the word ego, Nico was gripping his sword tightly with gritted teeth. "But don't you understand, the magical-"

Annabeth appeared holding a vial with a green liquid in it. It bubbled and sizzled. She stopped in her tracks. "Do I need to come back later?" She asked. "No, we were just talking, right Nico?" Percy turned back to him with a steely expression. Nico nodded.

"Now let's end this little talk," Nico took out his Stygian Iron sword. "Have it your way then," Percy took out his pen and clicked it and Riptide appeared gleaming. He got up. Both of them gripped their sword so tightly that their knuckles turned white. It was Nico who did the first move. He swung at him to the side. Percy ducked, grabbed his pillow and threw it at him. Nico sliced it clean in half in mid-air and made a home run with the pillow. An explosion of cotton momentarily blinded Nico. Percy took this chance and whapped him solidly on the head. Nico crumpled to Annabeth's feet and he lay motionless.

They both stood over him. "Let's hope he doesn't get crazier then he already is," Percy said heavily. There was no joke in his voice.

Annabeth handed him the vial with the green liquid. "What's this?" Percy asked as he twirled it around in his fingers. "Drink it. It will hopefully help you keep your mind while you transform, though it will not stop the transformation," Annabeth explained. It seemed that she wanted to say more but decided not to. Percy was a bit skeptical but if something could help him make the transformation more bearable, he would take it.

Percy gulped it down and fell to his knees feeling like he had an eaten one of Gabes moldy socks that were dragged through mud and left to the side of a road. At the end, he felt a burning sensation in his stomach then it spread through his entire body. He felt like his insides had become molten lava. Percy sensed something recoil inside him thrashing in pain. Then it stopped and he got up.

"Let's get Nico out of here," he said and picked up the fallen warrior's head. Annabeth grabbed Nico's legs and together, they went out the door as the sun disappeared from view.

"Were should we leave him?" Percy asked. Annabeth thought for a moment but it was clear that she didn't know where to put Nico. "How about we plop him into the woods," Percy said. Annabeth had an exasperated frown on her face. "That would be a good place to put him but that's were you're going to transform," she said. Percy cast a fearful glance at the sky. It was darkening. He only had a few minutes left before he would transform. "No, the woods is our best bet now," he said. Annabeth nodded.

They delved into the woods, plopping Nico next to a random tree. They walked on until they had come to a small clearing. "Well here's the place for you, I'll come back when the screaming has stopped," Annabeth said and she disappeared into the thicket of trees.

Percy stood there looking up at the sky. The moon stared forebodingly down at him. Now it was only seconds before the transformation. Percy waited and waited then he fell to his knees.

Nothing could have prepared him for this. Pain broke over him like an overflowing dam. Fangs grew and gills cut across his throat. His eyes burned. He felt like his bones were shuffling around, rearranging like building blocks. His back felt like it was splitting open. Percy realized he was growing wings. He didn't have wings in the first transformation but the agony of the transformation didn't let him ponder this question. Now his face was lengthening. Scales surfaced from his skin. The taste of pure venom greeted him. His vision was tinged red with pain. He wished it would stop then the agony sweeped away instantly. He opened his eyes and from a puddle in the water, he saw himself.

His clothes were ripped and torn at his claws. He growled. Percy liked that shirt. He felt mildly aware that he felt buff. Very buff and the water showed his mucles. Strength and power surged through his limbs. Percy felt like he could crush boulders in his bare claws but at the moment, he didn't have the energy. If he could breathe above water, that meant he still had lungs. His jaws looked enormous. The fangs were razor sharp but it was his eyes that most surprised him.

He saw a very horrified dragon looking back at him from the water. Seeing himself as something else was plain wrong. He, Percy Jackson, was a monster. To think it was going to be an enjoyable three-weeks but here he was as something else and everyone was scared of him.

He sensed a presence and he looked up. It was Annabeth. She staring at him and was gritting her teeth. "No need to look so tensssssse, Annabeth," he said then he realized he had just spoken. It was his voice but it seemed to be louder and more snake-like. Annabeth was bewildered but she understood. The potion had worked. She stepped forward uncertaintly. "Come on, I won't bite," he said. He tried to smile but all he could was bare his fangs at her. For a moment, a grin flickered across her face and she rushed forward to hug him. Since she was small and he was big, she only managed to hug his legs. "Enough with the cuddling, I'm okay." Percy assured her.

She pulled back. Suddenly, a memory flashed through him. He saw himself young at probably three years old. The memory was certaintly before Smelly Gabe had arrived to mess up his life because he never appeared in it. Percy was struggling to pull up a chair to stand on to reach the cassete player. His mom was laughing as she got up from the sofa to help him with the seat. Young Percy plopped the seat down below the cassete player and got up on it. He stood on his tippy-toes and popped in a cassete. "Good job," she said patting him on his head. She helped him put the seat back with the dining table. Percy cuddled up with his mom in the sofa. The title screen appeared and Percy got up to press the play button and returned to his seat on the sofa.

As the movie progressed he realized that it was _Beauty and the Beast_ that he was watching. But he was the beast and Annabeth was the beauty. What the heck. . .

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked. He realized that he was hissing steam from his mouth. He was angry, angry because of the end of good times with his mom, all because of Smelly Gabe. He wanted to crush his statue into dust. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. A fiery fireball welled up in his chest and he expelled it as if throwing away the memory of Smelly Gabe. "Whoa!" Annabeth yelled and she ducked. The next thing he saw was the fiery outlines of what was once a tree. An uncontrollable anger washed over him. It was only until he realized that he almost incinerated Annabeth that the anger dissipitated.

Annabeth stood up shakily but instead of fear, she was shaking with anger. "What the Hades were you thinking! One minute you tell me to shove off then you almost incinerate me for the second time in two days!" She took a deep breath. "Why did you do that?" She asked. It was clear that she wanted an answer. "Memory, plus this dragon business is making me angry very easily," he replied. It was true. He felt more war-like. Percy realized that he was dangerous, _very_ dangerous if he wanted to be.

He tryed to think of something to calm himself down. Maybe the beach. Since he is a Water Dragon and had wings, he wanted to get used to this form. He turned to look at the massive wings that stretched out of his back. He flapped them once and felt the wind soar through it. It felt like he had another set of hands. "How about we fly to the beach. If I am a water dragon every night then I'd better try to get use to thiss form," Percy decided.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you can fly now but the campers will see you. They are already raising an awful uproar and-" she stopped.

"What?"

"Their thinking about slaying you," she said. _So_, his dream had a ring of truth in it. "Well, that'sssss going to be exciting," he said sarcastically.

"Get on me,"

"What? You can't be seriously thinking-"

"Trussssssst me."

"I wish you could stop that. It's creepy."

Percy bared his fangs at her.

He bent down low so Annabeth could climb on. "Get comfortable becausssse this will probably be rough." He felt some shuffling on his back. "You ready?" he asked. Annabeth's faint voice said, "I'm ready." Percy tensed his powerful legs like a cat ready to pounce, then jumped and he was off. Percy kept low to the treetops meanwhile practicing his basic air maneuvers. He kept going up and down, enjoying the screams of terror from Annabeth but he did not dare tell her that.

It was the best feeling ever. The cold, breezy air on his face made him glad for just one moment, that that dragon possessed him. It was a very short trip and the beach was below him. He tried to make the landing as smooth as possible but instead landed with a hop, bounce, and a splash.

Annabeth appeared unscathed but Percy slid straight into the water. Excitement fluttered in his stomach. He was in salt water, the best place a Son of Posiedon could be. He could see everything and his gills gave him of taste of oxygen in water. To be honest, it felt like normal breathing, well normal for humans anyway but at the moment, he was not human. It left him with a tickling sensation in his throat.

A school of piranhas were beggining to encircle him. They showed him his teeth which looked unimpressive compared to his fangs. He coud sense their thoughts and they were clearly not making good intentions. _This guy doesn't have shiny teeth like ours. We can take him down easily_," They were pressing harder towards him. Percy decided to have some fun so he showed them his teeth. The piranhas made a sound like a chainsaw. They ran away saying things like Run away! His teeth are bigger than ours! And where's Gerome? "_Now who's top of food chain now!" _he thought, sending that thought telapathically to them_. _They disappeared and he took off with a swish of his tail.

From then on, none of the sea life tried to stop him. He could go wherever he pleased. Once, he scared a squid and it propelled itself across the water leaving along a cloud of ink. After some time, he got the jist of swimming with a tail, he came up to the surface where Annabeth was making a sand building sculpture.

"Took you long enough, almost thought you drowned in water," she huffed but she was grinning. Annabeth was hiding her face behind the sculpture which struck him as odd. Percy got the joke and he sprayed salt water all over Annabeth with his tail. "Hey, this was my last clean shirt!" She was soaking wet and she spewed wet sand out of her mouth. Annabeth hovered over the sand sculpture, devastated.

"You'll have plenty of time to build sssssculptures later but why were you hiding yourssssssself.," he asked. Annabeth went instantly red. "Nothing," she said and she turned away. "It's clearly sssssomething," he insisted. "It's nothing, forget it," she hissed. She was clearly upset about something. "Tell me," he said starting to get angry due to his different nature.

Annabeth seemed to glance at his legs then looked up at him and she sighed. "Man, even as a dragon, you're just so-" she stopped but Percy got the message. He craned his head to look at his thighs. This was the part that was not as heavily scaled as the rest of his body thus showing his veins and of course, the bulging muscles. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. "Can we just change the subject?" Annabeth seemed to be panicking so Percy dropped the subject.

"How does it feel like, the transformation I mean," she asked. "Well, it felt like my bonesss were rearranging painfully. It's close to torture and venom is not delicioussss," he said shuddering slightly.

"Does your mom already know about this?" She asked. He felt like he had frozen in seconds. How come he never thought about this? "No," he replied. Percy could just imagine his mom's face all horrified when he would tell her that he was a Water Dragon by night. It was quite painful the thought because he never liked that his mom was worried about him. He considered sending an Iris-message and lie that he was having fun but lieing to his mom was painful too. Besides, his mom had the uncanny ability to sense that something was wrong.

Percy noticed that Annabeth was shivering uncontrollably. "Come closer and close your eyes," he asked. She moved closer. Percy welled up a weak fireball in his throat and blew it at her shirt. Her shirt didn't burn up thankfully but she was hopping around like an injured rabbit cussing, and calling him some choice names. She calmed down enough to say, "Thanks." Annabeth no longer shivered after that.

"So where did you get that potion? Clearly it was not from the camp ssstore," he asked. Annabeth frowned. "Chiron made it fresh last night, gotta ask him for some more though," she went into deep thought.

"We still have to find the cure though but the cure is definitely not going to be an exorcism plus, you have three weeks before _this_," she said, waving at his entire being. "Will become to much for you and you won't be Percy anymore forever. With your power and you being the son of Poseidon with that monster inside you that is a water dragon, you can bring about the downfall of the gods and the end of western civilization. You are that powerful. Truly the worst-case scenario," she said.

Silent tears fell from Annabeth's eyes. "Come on, cheer up, I won't let this dragon change who I am. I may be a dragon on the outside but I am still Percy on the inside and I promise you, I will try to not let this change me, not ever," he said, adding so much ferocity and confidence to every word that he realized that he was half-roaring. She blinked but she smiled.

"Well, cheers to that but imagine if I were the one possessed," she shuddered. "Don't say that," Percy said, a dead seriousness in his voice.

The dark didn't feel so dark anymore and he turned. The bare tip of the sun reached the horizon. Annabeth gasped. "Oh my gods! How could I forget that? I'll get you some clothes," she said, jumping to her feet and fled.

Percy stood there looking at the sun until Annabeth had come with the clothes. She disappeared through the trees once again. The sun's warmth and light finally hit him and he changed back. It as painless but it still felt not normal.

The buffness he had felt as a dragon left him then he was on the ground with the clothes at his fingertips. He put on his clothes feeling very embarrassed and kept looking behind his shoulder to check if the coast was clear. He longed for the strength he had felt as a dragon. Percy immediately wished that he was still a dragon but slapped the thought aside but still. . . .

Percy plunged to the woods and immediatly came across Annabeth who was leaning against a tree. "Ready to go?" she asked. He nodded.

They decided to pick up Nico but at the place they left him, there was no Nico. He had disappeared. This greatly troubled Annabeth fearing that he would kill Percy if he could get a chance but he assured her that he would stay on guard. He didn't show it but he knew Nico had the element of surprise which meant that Nico had several tricks up his sleeve. Who knows what Nico was planning next?

They said goodbye to each other and Percy headed towards his cabin. Tyson was asleep but he swore that when he came in, the snores volume increased by tenfold. He went to bed but it was a while it seemed to Percy before he could finally catch up on some sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 10: The Last Line**

**Annabeth**

Sleep was terrible especially because of the fine work of dreams. They never failed to bother her yet.

Flashes of scenes zipped through her mind. Most of them just whizzed by and disappeared into the gloom. She caught snatches of a jet-black dragon and spiders. Lots of them.. The woman across from her looked oddly familiar.

Then she was on a train. Percy was next to her sleeping. Annabeth looked up and down the aisles. It was practically empty except the women across from her.

It was a tall woman with tight jeans and a headband. She was actually pretty, wearing a hat with a stuffed owl on it. Her eyes to Annabeth's astonishment, were a stormy gray just like her eyes. The lady was scanning the newspaper critically and she was biting her lip in what seemed to be worry.

"Mom?" she asked. The woman turned to her and she didn't seem happy. It was Athena, Goddess of Wisdom.

Instead of saying, I've Missed you! Or telling her why Olympus had closed which may be the most important, she didn't say neither.

"Thought you would never ask," she said bitterly. "I believed that were you smarter than _this _Annabeth," she said coldly, waving at Percy.

"What?" she asked totally bewildered. Athena sighed impatiently. She snapped her fingers at Percy and in his head morphed into a dragon's.

"Here you are, on a quest being smitten by a mere boy even when he's in a dragon to go and find the cure. Ask yourself this. Do you really think Percy wants to give up this power?"

Athena gave her a penetrating stare. What kind of question was this?

"Of course! The fate of Western Civilization depends on it!" she replied. Athena was starting to sound like Artemis.

Athena narrowed her eyes at her but she didn't elaborate on this. "Nico hasn't forgotten about Percy. He will be a great threat on your quest. The gods are passing judgment on whether to kill this boy," she said.

"Are you voting to let him live?" she asked anxiously.

She didn't answer but the look on her mother's face told him everything. Athena was voting to kill Percy.

"How could you?" Annabeth said. "Do you realize that I love Percy?"

Athena did not reply immediately. "That is what will be your downfall. He is not safe and anyone close to him is not safe from him either. This is probably for the best my dear," she said in a resigned voice.

"No. I won't let you. Not in a millennia," she said, shaking with fury.

Annabeth knew it wasn't wise to get angry at a god/goddess especially when it is your mother but she was pushing it way too hard. She had always liked Percy from the moment he had set foot on Camp Half-Blood though rather secretly. Annabeth didn't care if he was human or half human, half-dragon or hell, a heavily scaled, very muscular and very admirable dragon. Percy had that kind of affect on her. But that was going to be taken away from her unless something is done.

Athena stared at her as if challenging her.

"Well you give me no choice," Athena said and she snapped her fingers. Everything disappeared and emptiness took its place then she knew no more.

**Percy**

Percy awoke with a very painful poke in his ribs. "Whazzit? Is it light yet?" he said, half-awake. Percy opened his eyes. There was certainly light outside. He tilted his head slightly to the side.

Tyson was standing over him. "I'm so sorry about that whole thing back in breakfast yesterday," he said casting an eye to the ground. "Finally caught on haven't you?" Percy said angrily.

"Why were you avoiding me so badly, I wasn't going to hurt you," he asked. Tyson was suddenly very interested in his shoe. "I sort of panicked when you smelled just like a monster. I remembered the attack from the Sphinx back in Brooklyn you know, before I meet you," he explained.

"Anyways, we have monster class in 3 minutes," Tyson said, glancing at his watch. "Oh my gods!" Percy yelled as he flung himself out of his bed and put his sneakers on and rushed out the door.

Monster class turned out . . . bad, to put it bluntly. He couldn't focus because of snide remarks of Monster or Man-eater. He tried his best to not focus on it too much. Percy said good-bye to Tyson and went to look up some books.

Percy sat down on a chair next to the Poseidon statue. He flipped through the pages of _Dangerous Creatures and their Abilities. _He flipped to a page about eidolon's. He ran his finger across the page to a heading that was labeled _Other forms of Eidolon's. _

_Eidolons come in many forms. There has been evidence of this but only one is known. It comes in the form as a dragon which can inhabit any form. Statues, water and even people. This Eidolon is very dangerous and nearly invincible. If this form manages to inhabit a body then the person too will soon fall into the influence of this Eidolon. Only humans can manage this energy. Animals will die after a short time after possessing this spirit. Demigods are very resistant to this spirit but will also soon be corrupted._

Must of this he already knew. Percy skipped a few pages that explained the transformation. He wanted to know if his predicament could be cured. Percy found the answer but it wasn't the answer he wanted.

_However the cure is unknown. Someone inhabited by this spirit has no hope._

He heard a strange ringing in his ears as he finished reading this. Panic grasped him from the neck, drowning him. This Eidolon was going to stay on a permanent vacation in his body.

He got up and started pacing the room. "Get out," he growled at himself, though trying to talk to the Eidolon inside him. Nothing. "Leave me be!" he yelled. This time the dragon responded.

A cold, harsh laughter bounced across his skull. _Oh, but like this body too much. You are very interesting, I've read your memories. This Annabeth, you love her dearly but I am afraid she won't be here much longer now that the corruption has begun," _It said, laughing again.

This made him so angry, he punched himself in the head. Percy was sent across the room and he collided with the marble Poseidon statue and knocked clean in half where the severed piece broke into a million pieces.

He stood shakily to his feet as Annabeth stepped into the doorway.

**Annabeth**

"What in the name of the gods happened here?" she asked looking around and finally to Percy who shrugged vigorously.

"And yet you manage to hurt yourself again," Annabeth said rolling her eyes. She wiped off the blood with her hand as Percy hissed in pain.

Annabeth cleaned up as best she could and then after ushering him into a chair Percy asked her, "Why did you come here in the first place."

"We need to start the quest now but we need guidance and I've been thinking. _You,_" Annabeth said, pointing at him. "Must consult the Oracle."

Percy looked at her like she had fallen off the moon. He sputtered for a few seconds but Annabeth cut him off. "You're the one possessed not me, so you go do it," she said poking him in the chest.

Accepting defeat, he got up and shoved his chair to the table a little bit too forcefully. The chair's head popped off and hit Annabeth square on the face. The table developed a small web of cracks.

"We need to get you're arm back to normal," she said, massaging the spot where the chair had hit her. Percy looked at the floor and his expression had changed from guilt to anger. "Whoa, calm down. Anger won't get rid of that spirit, it will only make things worse," Annabeth said.

Percy took a deep breath. "Yeah you're right." He closed and eyes and seemed to be in deep concentration. He looked like his head was about to explode then he exhaled and opened his eyes. He raised his hands and groaned in frustration. Percy tried once again but nothing happened. "It's not working. I can't do it, " he said after another failed attempt.

Annabeth thought for a moment, maybe he needed to concentrate on something. "Well, try to think on something else, something that makes you human," she suggested. Percy nodded and tried again. Nothing happened.

He needed some initiative. She did the first thing that came to her mind. Annabeth grabbed him from the back of his head and they kissed on the lips.

She never thought it would feel this good. Apparently, Percy felt the same way. Annabeth remembered the time that they kissed under the canoe lake. She felt a tight squeeze on her thigh. She didn't know why she did it but Annabeth pulled away. Percy looked slightly disappointed.

"Okay look at me," she ordered. Percy obeyed. "Try again," she said, grabbing him in to make him stare into her eyes. Annabeth did find hard to stare into his eyes. She couldn't help but think that he had those snake-like eyes.

**Percy**

As soon as they locked eyes, an emotion of utmost hunger ran through him. He wanted to bite the girl in front of her. He longed for the warm gush of blood under his pointed fangs. In a daze, he said, "Just one bite," and he leaned forward. A hand slapped him on the cheek and he lost the feeling altogether. "Ow! did you have slap me that hard. "What got into you?" she asked, utterly frightened.

He looked down and examined his sneakers.

With a jolt, he remembered the Eidolon's words inside his head. _"This Annabeth, you love her dearly, but I am afraid that she won't be around much longer." _His blood froze. The Eidolon was going to make him kill Annabeth.

Percy explained this to her. "It's already affecting your human form. That early?" Annabeth got up and paced then stopped. "We can't do anything until we get the prophecy. We'll have a place to start with this prophecy," she suggested. Percy nodded.

Unlike other quests, the Oracle was no longer a heavily beaded mummy but a girl named Rachel Dare. Luckily, she decided to come to camp for three weeks as well. Coincidence much?

In a cave overlooking the hill, they pushed past the curtains and came into a candle-lit room, where Rachel seemed to be doing schoolwork. She immediately stood up as if she wanted an excuse to not do her school work. "Well, I'm a cave woman now huh," she said grinning at them.

Meanwhile, Annabeth had her arms crossed, glaring at Rachel. She seemed to notice this because she said hurriedly, "You need a prophecy right?" Percy nodded. "I already now what happened, you don't need to tell me," she said.

Percy thought for a moment. "Does it still work like before?" he asked. "Yup. A-" she choked on her words and collapsed. "Get out of here, I'll meet you outside," Percy said, gesturing for her to leave. Annabeth zoomed out. She already had bad experiences with prophecy's. Rachel was already on her feet, her eyes glowing green. Inside his head, he felt a voice coiling around his brain.

_I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty python. Approach, seeker, and ask._

Percy took a deep breath to stop the squeak that was trying to escape the clutches of his throat. "What must I do to rid myself of this evil."

Mist whirled around. She spoke again.

___One shall vanish in the hallows of dead awakened_

_You shall go south into the mouth of dragons bane_

_ You shall face the god who has taken the throne by force_

_ You shall face the shadow of what was once_

_You shall learn of the betrayal of the brother to the son_

_But in the end, darkness reigns on through Winter Solstice_

_ Into the heart filled with fear _

That was probably the longest prophecy he had ever recieved.

The mist curled into a large serpent and was tucked into the mouth of Rachel and collapsed again, coughing.

Rachel got up shakily to her feet. "What did I say?" she asked him.

Honestly, Percy didn't want to recite it but Rachel seemed definitely curious. He did so. Rachel said nothing when he finished. "You're girlfriend is waiting for you by the way," she said tonelessly. Percy whipped around. Annabeth stood there, her arms crossed.

"Well see ya," he said and turned to follow Annabeth out the door. They walked towards the big house not saying anything. They reached the front door and Annabeth raised her hand to knock but Percy stopped her. "I hear voices," he said, raising his index finger to his lips to silence her. He pressed his ear to the door and this is what he heard:

"No, I won't vote to kill him," said a hoarse voice that was unmistakably Chiron. "Come on, the boy has cost us a lot of trouble since he came here to this cursed camp!" said a voice that was Dionysus and he definitely sounded angry. "Do you not remember the time he did us great service! There at Mount Othrys!" replied Chiron. Percy had never heard him that angry before.

"He has played you! You are blind to what he really his!" Dionysus growled. There was a pause.

"I believe you are blind to the fact that he didn't ask for this power, no one did," Chiron said coldly. "The question is, who had done this to him and by what means? It is time that you consider life against love." There was silence on the other end.

"Are you even sure the boy is tame," Dionysus said. "He is tame as long as he takes his potion. Though he chooses whether or not to be 'tame,'" Chiron replied.

"You do not know what he is capable of with this monster inside him," Dionysus said. "I do know what he is capable of, thank you very much," said Chiron, as cold as ever.

"He will bring the downfall of the gods! There is no so-called cure for him!" Dionysus shrieked. "Only the Oracle can judge that," Chiron replied.

"You are a fool! He will destroy us all!" Dionysus screamed.

A shine peeked out of the cracks of the door and with a little _Pop!_ And the smell of fresh wine grapes in his wake, announcing the leave of Mr. D. After the sound of scraping of chairs, the sound of wheels got louder.

"Move!" Percy whispered. He grabbed Annabeth's hand and they jumped over the porch railing. The door creaked open. For a few tense seconds, they waited with bated breath, then the door closed and Percy could breathe again.

"We should get back our lessons and tell him later," Annabeth suggested. Percy nodded and they parted ways.

But Percy instead, went to his cabin instead. He lay in bed, mulling the prophecy through his head and no answer came up to his mind so far.

___One shall vanish in the hallows of dead awakened_. Who will disappear in the hallows? He had a feeling the prophecy wasn't talking about him or Annabeth but the third person.

_You shall go south into the mouth of dragons bane._ The cure lay in the south. Maybe Chiron knew that something was there.

_You shall face the god who took the throne by force. _He didn't know any god who took a throne by force.

_You shall face the shadow of what was once. _This line deeply troubled him. What was the shadow of what is once?

_You shall learn of the betrayal of the brother to the son._ Did the prophecy mean that Tyson was going to betray him? But Tyson didn't have son.

_But in the end, evil reigns on through Winter Solstice._ Winter solstices were the best times for evil to rise. Percy had a theory but the reason there wasn't judgment now was because they were going to wait till the Solstice. _That maybe the date of my total corruption, _he thought, his heart beating very fast. With a jolt, he realized the winter solstice was about 14 days from now. The deadline was set.

_Into the heart filled with fear. _This was probably the weirdest line so far.

And there was the talk of Chiron with Dionysus. Chiron had told Dionysus to consider something about life against love. What did that mean?

Apparently, there was a vote between the Olympian's deciding if they should kill him or not. He remembered that something liked this happened when Thalia had been offered immortality when the gods were voting to kill him. _They never change, _he thought angrily to himself.

But a new question had arisen in his mind. Where was Thalia?

Percy immediately got up. He didn't want to think about this anymore. He went down to his next lesson and then it was cabin inspection. With the help of Tyson, everything looked in tip-top shape though Tyson still refused to look at Percy.

A girl that they never knew poked her head in the doorway with a clipboard. She was probably fifteen or sixteen. She looked around, set eyes on Percy and for a fraction of a second, she looked scared but she regained her composure. "Two out of five," she said as she wrote on her clipboard and she was gone.

Percy stood there for a moment, thunderstruck. "Err, Percy?" asked Tyson. A towering rage was building in his chest. He tried his best to force it down but the Eidolon made it near impossible to stop it. "Leave, right now," he said quietly. Tyson seemed to have understood because he zoomed out of the cabin.

Now his anger had risen above boiling point. The transformation was starting. Almost immediately, Annabeth appeared in the doorway and his anger left him.

"If you are to get out of this, then you need to keep your anger under control," she said, deadly serious. Percy looked down. "Sorry," he said. Annabeth laughed nervously. "What are you apologizing for?"

"But didn't you just say-?"

"Nothing. Well, it's time for lunch."

These days, this was his least favorite time. It gave everyone a chance to provoke his anger. _They want to make me show my dragon form , ignore it, _he would think to himself. Though it was starting to worry him. He felt more and more like an animal each day. It was proving hard not to think about. How would they feel when he was over them, fangs poised to strike. This thought didn't exactly improve his appetite as he sat down at his table.

Everything that he wanted was given to him. He used to like his steaks well-done but his cravings were different now that he that the Eidolon was inside him. So medium-rare was his favorite now.

After what seemed like eternity, they went back to their activity's.

Percy searched for Annabeth but it wasn't going good. He needed to tell her that they needed to talk with Chiron.

He went to the Athena cabin and knocked very insistently on the door. Malcolm opened the door and grinned at him evilly. "I knew you would come here for her. Unfortunately, she's not here. Nothing to sink your fangs into huh, _Reptile," _he joked and he slammed the door in his face. Percy felt his cheeks hotten. What kind of a sick joke was this?

He leaned against the door. There was some movement then came Annabeth's voice. "What did you call him, you sick son of a-?!" Percy covered his ears. The voices stopped and he unplugged his ears. "I just called him Reptile, you know what he is," Malcolm said. "You will pay for that," Annabeth hissed.

What happened next was so loud that he stepped away from the door. He heard a smack that sounded like it hurt _a lot_. A pound on the wall rocked the cabin. An earthquake of what sounded like books toppled down and hit the floor. The avalanche stopped then the unmistakable creaking of a bookcase followed with a BONK!

Annabeth opened the door. Her face looked so unforgiving and deadly, she might as well be a dragon. He jumped back in alarm. Her face softened slightly as she focused her eyes on him. "Come in here," she said.

Percy stepped inside. In the corner was Malcolm. He was half-buried in books as blood trickled down his forehead. A stack of books was piled in between his legs. The bookcase had fallen and hit him in the head.

Annabeth sat on her bed and buried her face in her hands. Percy sat gingerly at the edge of her bed. "Why are you crying," he said observing the bit of exposed face. He could see something pearly-white trickeling down her cheek.

She put her hands down but her face was not sad or mournful but angry. "I told him," she said suddenly. Percy reached for her hand. Annabeth stared into his eyes.

"I thought he was different from the others but I realized he is just the same," she said. Annabeth didn't seem to be anxious into getting into the subject. Percy was determined to hold his gaze into her stormy eyes. "I told Malcolm that . . . that I liked you . . . as a dragon. You looked just so good with that chest and thighs-."

"Are you talking about my muscles? I . . ." Percy stopped, utterly confused. His brain felt like it was a wire Annabeth was talking to him about his muscles as a dragon. He might as well just pose for her in a picture as a dragon on a beach. Talk about a beach body, and yet . . .

Percy felt a pang of longing for the power he felt as a dragon. That sweet, unimaginable power that surged through him last night as a dragon was making him long for tonight. Annabeth's voice interrupted him from his musings.

"I know I sound like a blonde-"

"You are a blonde."

"Right."

Perspiration gleamed on Annabeth's face. She gulped.

"Malcolm teased me immediately after I told him, 'spect he told everyone else. Everyone started to call me, 'dragon-lover.' It may have already spread to the whole camp. But the worst part is, I thought I could trust Malcolm. Stupid of me to think that."

Something that Malcolm said to him tugged on Percy's mind. "What did he mean by 'nothing to sink my fangs into' all because you weren't there, apparently," he asked making air quotations, his stomach doing a slow roll.

Annabeth looked down then stared up at him with a look of defiance. "I already told you. Weren't you listening to me?"

"Of course!" he lied.

Then horrible realization seeped into him like a contagious venom. Malcolm was talking about him and Annabeth making . . . him and Annabeth making. . . .

He refused to believe it but as soon as he thought it, Percy knew it was true. He looked at Malcolm who had started stirring, the blood dried and dirty-looking. He found that he was not sorry at all. In fact, he was furious.

Percy got up, picked up the bookcase off Malcolm who had opened his eyes now and raised him in the air with a tight grip around his throat. Malcolm clawed at his hands futilelessly, making choking noises.

"Percy STOP!" Annabeth screamed behind him but Percy ignored her. "_**THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY HUH THAT LITTLE JOKE ABOUT US TWO AND ALSO YOU TORMENTING ANNABETH 'NOTHING TO SINK MY FANGS INTO' I'LL BITE BACK THOSE WORDS!" **_Percy screamed. He was beyond reasoning. The Eidolon was goading him on, something that he couldn't resist. Percy leaned forward.

A fist collided against the side of his head and Percy hit the wall head-first. Pain racked his entire body. It was pain beyond imagining. He stumbled around, the pain blinding him. Then collapsed at Annabeth's feet and he knew no more.

**A/N: This took me while because of the prophecy. I went ahead to do the next chapter so excuse me for keeping you all waiting.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_** Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

** Chapter 11: A Golden Opportunity **

**Percy**

"So thats it then?" said a voice that was definitely Annabeth's.

"I believe that is all, yes," said a voice that was no doubt Chiron's.

Percy opened his eyes. It felt like he had never opened them for a year. For a moment everything was bright then it dimmed down. He realized he was on the ping-pong table in the Great House.

"Good, you're awake," said Chiron wheeling over. Percy was aware of a very funny feeling in his eyes, face and muscles. Something was different. He jumped off.

Percy got situated at the table with a warm cup of hot chocolate. Annabeth kept throwing anxious looks at his face.

"We've just been talking about the prophecy and it seems that the cure lies in Florida, strange as that might seems." Chiron said after a big sip of hot chocolate.

Percy remembered he had a dream about Grover being kidnapped by Polyphemus in Florida once but he had never been there before. It was weird, talking about the fate of western civilization and his.

"Sources say that there is a cave deep below Florida. Many who venture into it never return. But the cave had collapsed millenia ago due to an argument between Poseidon and a . . . . but that is beside the point. I don't understand why the prophecy suggests that there is something there but it may have opened again under mysterious circumstances. The cave is somewhere in the Everglades. The cure may be there. As for the other parts of the prophecy, I don't know. More things will come to light as you two travel there," Chiron explained, the edge of his lip twitching slightly.

Percy felt a growing suspicion that Chiron was hiding something from him. Something very important.

Percy's mind was tingling with the words _You too _then he realizied something. "There is sssupposed to be three going on a quest. We're jussst two." Something was wierd with his voice too.

Chiron chuckled as if they just shared a private joke. "Annabeth doesn't want someone else on this quest. Grover and Tyson don't want to go though, someone else has decided to come if you don't mind. _Clarisse."_

"WHAT!?"

"Did someone just call me?" said a voice. Clarisse appeared from a room that Percy never entered before. He only caught a glimpse of a garden-like area with a stuffed leopard's head on the wall, licking it's lips. "No," Chiron replied politely but Clarisse strolled in anyways with a knife held loosely at her side.

She threw her knife at the table. It embedded itself an inch away from Percy's hand with a loud _thud_. "Unlike Miss Princess here, I'm not afraid of you," she said, gesturing at Annabeth who looked like she had swallowed something sour. Clarisse took a seat right next to Percy and stared right into his eyes. "I suggest you look at yourself in the mirror if you haven't already," Clarisse sneered at him.

What was wrong about his looks? It wasn't night yet but the sun was starting it's descent in the sky. Percy strode over to a mirror and stood in front of it. He looked up and he couldn't believe what he saw.

His face was a mixture of scales and skin. So was his arms but there was more skin then scales. His teeth looked sharper than normal. His tongue was forked like a serpent's. He tasted no venom though.

Percy's muscles seemed to be a lot thicker than before. He knew he had a lot of muscle before but now, it was just pushing it. The veins stretched more noticebly across his arm like webs.

But the most surprising change of all was his eyes. One had cat-like slits for pupils while the other looked perfectly human which gave a very disorienting headache just looking at it. That reminded him of Dr. Thorn who turned out to be a manticore.

"What happened to me?" Percy asked, looking over at Chiron. "You exerted a lot of anger back in the Athena cabin. Apparently, you got so angry that you scarred yourself. I can't gurantee that the cure may fix this though," Chiron said with a steely expression.

Percy glared at Annabeth thinking that she had told him what the joke was. She seemed to understand what he meant because she shook her head.

Annabeth stood up and disappeared into a room. Meanwhile, Percy kept glancing at himself. Now even in his human form, he wasn't truly human. What more could the Eidolon sap away from him? _A lot, _he thought dully.

Annabeth reappeared carrying the same potion he had taken the night before. She handed him the vial. Percy looked at the green substance swimming in the glass. "Bottoms up," he said and drank it in one gulp. He staggered at a table as he retched painfully but he didn't vomit luckily.

"Do you have anything that can make this taste better?" he asked.

"We can't. It won't have an effect on you if we add something else," said Annabeth.

"It was just a retorical question!"

Suddenly, there was a blood-curdling scream from outside. Immediately, everyone rushed towards the window and pulled the blinds. There at the edge of the forest was something scaly and . . . bronze. And it was burning the cabins to ashes. Before he knew it, Percy had already wrenched open the door and he ran towards the oncoming fires.

It was chaos. From afar, he realized that the thing that was burning the cabins was an automaton dragon that with the help of friends, fixed it. Percy hadn't seen it a while and here it was wrecking the cabins and frying anything in its path. Percy needed to stop it.

Campers were running around on fire, or running into their cabins to collect their belongings before it was too late.

Annabeth appeared next to him panting. "I don't care what you say, I'm helping you. Besides, you need me," she said flashing her gray eyes at him. Percy realized he was standing motionless staring back at her. She put her Yankees cap on and she vanished. Percy sprinted towards the fires.

"Hey, metal scraps! Come and get me!" He waved his arm in front of the automaton so it would distract it from his rampage of burning cabins. He realized it was all in vain. All the cabins were demolished.

For a few moments, the automaton considered him. Percy was determined to stare at the machine straight in the eyes. He didn't anticipate its attack as well as he thought.

The automaton grabbed him and held him to its face. Its claws pressed upon him. Immediately his bones in his fore-arm splintered then his ribs were next to go as he roared in agony. Death was upon him. Then an almighty roar of pain from the dragon and he was flung to the side into a burning cabin like a rag doll.

Percy gasped and he inhaled a mouthful of ashes. He couldn't hear. He couldn't think, at least not about anything but the pain. Percy felt like he was being applied a steaming hot poker to his chest and arms. He wished he would just die instead of the seemingly endless excureciating pain.

The ceiling was going to collapse any minute now. Fire raged all around him and Percy realized that he was on fire. He closed his eyes then the pain felt like a distant memory. He was opening Death's door then another pain brought him back to reality.

Spots danced in his vision as he rolled around as he screamed and screamed in agony. The pain was eating from the outside-in. Then felt the feeling of his ribs and arms mending. His face elongated into a vicious maw. He tasted venom on his forked tongue as fangs grew. Percy watched his arms get impossibly huge as scales immediately covered them whole. His whole spine opened as spike-tipped wings grew out of it and spikes emerged along his spine. His neck elongated and scales covered his body. His body stretched like a rubber band being pulled.

The pain stopped as his head lay in the pile of his ripped clothes. When was he going to stop ripping his clothes?

Percy was aware of an amazing strength that surged throughout him. His body felt like nothing before. Unfortunitely, the cabin was too small for him.

Percy felt cramped as his wings was crushed on the ceiling. His tail was curled in but still was cramped. He tried to shrink himself in but Percy still felt very uncomfortable.

He stood which caused the whole cabin to explode completely. His wings and tail were free as he tried to regain some feeling into them.

A full moon loomed over him in the clear night sky. Percy gazed down below him. The ground looked far-away. How did he get that big? Percy remembered being only twenty-five feet tall the other night but judging from the distance from the ground, he was approximately more than fifty feet tall. He didn't have time to study himself though.

Below him, Annabeth, Clarisse, and the Bronze Dragon were dueling. Percy was bigger than the automaton while Annabeth and Clarisse looked small, very small. Annabeth seemed to have be carrying a backpack.

Immediately, the automaton and the two girls froze as they stood transfixed looking straight at him. Annabeth took a few steps back and fell on her butt with a look of utter horror as the backpack slid off and a phone fell with a clatter. There was a flash but none took notice of this. Clarisse had her Electric Spear pointed at him but she looked quite afraid. He couldn't blame them. Percy probably looked very tall, muscular, and _very_ frightening.

Something smelled really funny. Percy realized he was completely covered in flame.

A legion of Campers surrounded them with bows and swords drawn and they were pointed straight at him but none of them seemed anxious to shoot. Ten or so campers were missing from what he could tell. The automaton seemed to have took no notice of this.

It charged and Percy was ready to meet him. All the campers yelled and drawed back except Annabeth who was frozen solid on the ground.

Percy raised his arm grabbed the automaton by the neck and flung him like a foot-ball, fifty feet, a hundred feet, and he landed with a crash at the edge of the forest. It wasn't over, he could tell. The automaton didn't seem damaged because it rose. A hole opened on both its sides and what looked like a missile popped out locked and loaded. Dragons with freaking missiles. Percy knew he should've known that machines can have many things up their sleaves . . . . errr scales.

Wih a whoosh, the missles hurtled towards him. He flew out of the way and turned. They seemed to be homing missiles because they turned around and shot towards him. Percy didn't know why he did it but he raised both arms and made a stop motion. The two missles froze as he felt a tugging sensation in his claws. Still in a trance, Percy shot his hands down and the missles dropped like a meteor and crashed on the ground with a small earthquake, satisfying _**BOOM!**_

Percy looked at his claws in wonder. He had to admit, being able to control objects and moving them wherever he pleased without touching them was amazing. Percy turned towards the Bronze Dragon with a new confidence.

The automaton roared in anger. Its tricks were not over yet however. More holes appeared on it's side. Missles, Electric Nets, Bullets, a jar of Greek fire, and what seemed to be a ball with rotating blades hurdled towards him. Percy knew what to do.

He raised his arms for the bullets and made another stop motion. They froze and he let them clatter to the earth.

The Electric Nets were next and Percy closed his claws and made a tearing motion. The net teared in half and Percy made an X and they flew off in opposite directions.

The ball was next in line. Percy punches his fist into his palm and the ball crumpled. Wih a flick of his claw, it flew off.

The jar of Greek fire shot towards him next. Percy knew this one was going to be a lot of trouble if the jar broke so he made another stop motion. Carefully, he moved one arm slowly to drop it safely on the ground as he used his other hand to stop the oncoming missles.

With both arms free, he whirled both his index fingers once in a circle. They turned and Percy punched his fists forward. They shot towards the automaton. Percy clapped his claws together and the missles flew into the sides of the automaton with a _**BOOM! **_The automaton cannonballed backward with a hope, skip, and a crash. The machine tried to rise but fell back and it moved no more.

Percy flew over to the automaton. It didn't look good. Large pieces of it were blown off. When he opened the control center, a puff of black smoke erupted with a spark. In outrage, he slammed his fist on the ground and made a minature earthquake as he roared in fury. Percy hadn't planned on completely _destroying _ the machine but he guessed he had too much adrenaline and wasn't thinking clearly. Percy sighed as he felt a tear trickle down his jaw.

Percy set to work on fixing the machine. He retrieved all the pieces and he used his fire breath to weld them together but it was utterly hopeless. The automaton seemed beyond repair. As he stared at the control center, Percy noticed a button so small that the human eye would overlook it. It was labeled: _Emergency repair. _He pushed it and gears appeared with many pieces of bronze, a big variety of screws, and whatever was used to fix a broken machine. They set to work with odd sounds. It sounded like they were humming.

Percy turned around and the whole camp was staring at him. "Well, he should be fine. As you were," he said and vanished into the trees without a second thought.

Percy had reached the the clearing where he had transformed the last night. He turned to check if no one was following him. His dragon eyes allowed him to see everything hat was in the shadows like night-vision goggles. It was Annabeth that was following him. Percy moved on with an even quicker pace. He had no desire for company.

The woods seemed truly alive in the night as he crawled forward. Once he thought he had distanced himself far enough from Annabeth, he stopped. Percy curled himself into a ball.

He stared into the night. Annabeth was still hot on his tail. He growled in fury. "Leave me alone, I have no desire to speak with you," Percy said. Annabeth appeared clutching her side. "Yeah well, I'm not going to go sleep at the ashes of my cabin," she said limping forward. Percy could hear her ragged breath. "What? Did you get horse pain just by following me," he said. Annabeth didn't anwser. She limped forward then collapsed into the leaves.

Percy crawled forward. In her side was what looked like two puncture marks. The wound wasn't deep, thank the gods but nonetheless was gushing a sickly green liquid mixed with dry blood.

"What happened to you?" he asked incredously. "The automatons fangs had venom, got me at one point," she said with a weak laugh then heard her breath slow. Percy could hear her heartbeat slow. "No, no no no no," he whispered. A tear came streaming down his jaw. The drop fell into the wound. It hissed and the venom along with the wound disappeared leaving a slightly pink patch of skin. Annabeth gasped and her eyelids fluttered open.

For a few moments they stared at each other in the eyes though he wasn't sure if Annabeth can see his eyes in the dark. "Thanks," she said as she stood, brushing herself off.

Percy regarded coldly in return. "I believe I just said to leave me alone. I need some time to think if you don't mind," he said. Percy didn't know why he was so angry but solitary was what he needed.

Annabeth scoffed.

"So I'm the one who is causing trouble. All the cabins are burned. Where am I supposed to sleep?" she said, crossing her arms though they were shaking with cold.

Percy snarled.

"I don't know but somewhere away from me. And if you think that I'm going to let you cuddle with me, the anwssser is no. I am not your pillow," Percy said. He sighed. Maybe he was a being a bit too cruel on her. "But, if you insissst, that's fine," he said.

Annabeth ran forward and hugged his face. "Now go, before I change my mind."

Percy crawled back to his a place and settled himself in. Annabeth hesitated then picked a spot close to his belly. She shuddered. Annabeth hugged him a little tighter. Percy wound his tail around her and covered her with his wing though trying to avoid poking Annabeth with the spikes on his wing.

To be honest, he found it quite comforting. Before long, her hand had become warm against the side of his belly muscles. He stared at the quietly still form of Annabeth then she blinked. Annabeth was still awake. She seemed to be staring in the direction of his thigh muscles. Annabeth closed her eyes and she was asleep immediately.

Percy noticed something that was tied around her waist. Percy realized it was clothes. He carefully picked out the clothes off her waist. Percy clutched the tiny pieces of clothes in his claw thinking, "_I am going to need this". _He stared at the clothes. How could have he grown this big? "_Imagine if someone tried to look at this scientifically," _He joked to himself. His thoughts turned to things to come.

Tommorow most likely, he, Annabeth, and Clarisse, would be traveling south to find the cure. He stared through the canopy of trees at the full moon that hung over him. _Nothing better than a good night's sleep, _he thought to himself.

Before long, he too had fallen asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy**__** Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

** Chapter 12: The Unexpected Gift**

**Percy**

Percy had another one of those dreams that just plain frightened him.

He was in a cave. Mud was everywhere along the walls. There were pits that were covered mud like traps. The sheer size of the cave was dizzying him. It looked as if a rocket-sized drill plowed through here. Percy had the imprison that he was trapped. Behind him lapped waves lazily at the rocks. The water was pitch-black. In front of him was only shadow.

From the shadows appeared a lady. He would've mistaken her as human if not for the unusual earthy tint and the fact that she was fast asleep and able to speak at the same time.

"Such a valuable little pawn," the earthen lady crooned. She disappeared. Percy turned and there she was, striding towards him.

"Who are you?" Percy said, plunging his hand into his pocket where Riptide usually lied. Percy gasped. His pocket was empty. The earthen lady wagged her finger at him. She held up his sword/pen and flicked it away like a toy and it disappeared into one of the pits.

"Surely you know me? No wonder you don't know. I expect that Chiron never told you what happened after the Titan War?" she asked.

"What?" he asked. The lady laughed at his unknowingness.

"It's a wonder you don't know me but everyone expected me packed up and gone but no. I will be awakened and after that, the gods will be disposed of and Western Civilization will meet it's end," she said hungrily.

"But you are not to suffer. Help me dispose of the gods and you will be rewarded. Your family and your dear friend, Annabeth, shall not suffer. You shall have a top spot. But you need help and I will happily grant it. Consider it as a present from me," she said softly.

Before Percy could react, she raised an arm and spoke in raspy hisses but Percy understood her. "_Rise Serpent! Rise!"_

As soon as the goddess finished saying this, a pain brought him to his knees. The agony stopped and he gasped trying to get his breath. Meanwhile, the lady was circling around him in his dragon form.

"Ah, you look more presentable now. That ought to make you more powerful than ever before. Your little present," she said, smiling.

"What have you done to me?" Percy snarled.

The lady continued to walk around him. "Oh, I just added some touch-up's to your dragon form. You'll find out soon," she said, still smiling sleepily.

"You are the one who sent that Eidolon to possess me, didn't you?" he growled. The smile disappeared. There was deadly silence for a few seconds. The lady regained her composure almost immediately.

"You should be happy! Not many people have this honor!" she said.

"If you can improve my dragon form then you can also take it away," Percy said, scathingly.

"Now why would you want that?" she said in mocked surprise.

"Let me think . . . . because I must endure this transformation every night. Secondly, I will be corrupted and not remember who I am anymore. Thirdly . . . ." Percy said, his voice trailing away, plummeting horribly. There was not many reasons.

"You see! It is not so bad to be corrupted," she said, spreading her arms in a gesture.

"No."

"What?"

"No, I don't want this power. It is a curse and I decline. Sending gods into the abyss is not on my to-do list. I just want this Eidolon out of me. Thanks but, no thanks," he said coldly. The lady grimaced.

"You are testing my patience-," she said but Percy interrupted her.

"And you are testing my patience as well," he snarled.

For a few seconds, Percy glared at her. Then pain shot through him like electricity. As quickly as it had come, the pain vanished. He gasped and panted. There was definitely another change in his dragon form. And he realized that he was human again, with clothes on thankfully.

"You will bring down the gods and if anyone gets in your way, kill them." she said. Without willing to, he said, "I will."

"Good," she said with that stupid sleepy smile plastered again on her face. "And to give you more initiative, you'll need this," she said. From over her shoulder appeared a snake.

The snake slithered down her arm and fell to the ground. Percy backed away. Something told him that he did not want that to get on him.

It must have sensed his movement because it lunged forward and caught him around the leg. Percy shrieked and tried to bat it away but it would not budge.

It slithered up his side and curled onto his arm. It binded his whole arm and it squeezed, harder and harder then it bit down hard and it was inside him. It felt like his veins were set on fire and it was spreading through his entire body. Percy collapsed on hands and feet.

"I'm afraid I will be departing. Enjoy your gift," the earthen woman said. "**YOU PUT ME RIGHT!**" Percy yelled as he lunged forward but there was nothing to grab. The Lady had gone.

Percy awoke with leaves pressing on his bare skin. If it wasn't for his watch, he would have thought it was still night. Clearly imprinted, curled all around his arm like it were burned onto skin, was the outline of where the snake had sunk his fangs and went inside his body. Percy flexed his arm. Something wiggled nervously in there.

Above the canopy of trees, a dark snowy sky greeted him. He felt very cold with snow covering him which was very lucky as he was naked. Percy saw a naiad appear from a pine tree. Naiads never talked to him in camp but all just waved and giggled. This naiad was not one of those.

The naiad crossed her arms and gave a little huff. "I suggest you put on some clothes golden boy, before you become a snow-man. It's embarrassing," she said with a rude hand gesture.

Percy was still clutching the clothes he got from Annabeth in his hand. Without sparing a second, he shook off the snow as he pulled on the clothes feeling beyond embarrassment. How could he have forgotten that there was naiads in this forest?

Percy plunged his hand into his pocket but there wasn't anything. Where was the pen? He looked around him hoping to see a pen not far off but to no avail. Percy kneeled down and digged into the ground. It had to be there. After some feverish digging, his hand hit something hard. Percy pulled it up and sure enough, it was his sword.

He scrambled out of the forest as fast as he could. Once he reached the edge of the wood, a big mass was blocking his way. Percy realized it was the automaton. With a rush of relief, he saw that the automaton had been totally fixed. It raised it's head with a soft croak. It sounded like _creak_?

"If I see you cause more trouble, you are going to be a steaming pile of metal scraps, got it?" he said. The dragon lowered it's head with another feeble creak. Percy immediately felt sorry for the automaton.

"I'm sorry alright, just don't go crazy on us again," he said, rubbing its head. All of a sudden, it stood up and marched into the woods with its tail swishing behind him.

Everyone looked as if nothing happened. The campers were still continuing their activities though they looked wary and stared up at the sky nervously. The cabins were now huge piles of ash now. The Athena and Hephaestus campers seemed to be working on new cabins.

There at the edge of the forest, was Annabeth who had caught sight of him. "Percy!" she shrieked. She ran towards him. The moment they crossed eyes, a searing pain erupted all over his left arm. Percy staggered as he clasped an arm over the tattoo snake.

Annabeth reached him, slightly breathless.

For a few moments, she was doubled over gasping for breath. "Where were you?" Percy asked as he patted her back awkwardly. Next thing he knew, a fist sunk into his belly and he crumpled to the grass. "What . . was . . that . . for!?" he said angrily, in between gasps for breath. "Just because. Does it need a reason, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked him, rolling her eyes. "I guess not," Percy said. Annabeth held out a hand, smirking broadly. Percy took it gladly.

"Hey, what's that on your arm?" she asked. Percy tried to hide the snake tattoo which was still aching painfully but Annabeth snatched his left arm. She ran a finger over it. The moment, she came into contact with the tattoo, it burned more painfully then ever before. "Stop!" Percy shrieked. Annabeth let go and the snake tattoo normalized.

"Were did you get that?" she asked. Percy flexed his aching arm. "Long story," he replied. And Percy explained the dream to her except the part about the order of killing his friends if they got in the way. Her lip was quivering.

"I don't know who this may be but she sounds very powerful. And I have never heard of a snake like that. She must be the one who sent that Eidolon," Annabeth said, biting her lip.

"I thought that too but when I asked, she was momentarily caught off-guard, like she had never sent that Eidolon in the first place. Someone else had sent it, I'm sure of it," Percy said, running a finger over the snake tattoo.

"Hey Annabeth! We need you're help right now if you're not too busy!" said a voice. An unfamiliar Athena girl was glaring at them.

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" replied Annabeth then she turned back to him. "I'll see you around, alright?" she said.

It was a question, not a statement.

Percy felt his cheeks hotten. "Yes," he replied. Annabeth gave him a fleeting smile and she went to help her fellow campers. Percy watched her go. Annabeth seemed to be getting even more beautiful by the day.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Malcolm clearly bruised all around his neck. He was glaring at him. Percy stared at him until he was forced to look away.

Percy turned and he came face to face with a girl. Immediately, he stumbled back. "Oh hello hon," the girl said. Judging by the makeup and tuned nails, the girl was a daughter of Aphrodite.

"You don't want to date a girl like that, I'm much better," she said, batting her eyelashes at him. Percy scoffed. Normally, he would've been too surprised to say anything but with that monster in him, he was furious. Percy had a fierce love for Annabeth. "You don't go around dissing my girlfriend. She's better looking then all you Aphrodite girls plus she's smarter," he retorted.

The girl's eyes turned ice cold. "That's not very nice, hon," she pouted. Percy gave her the best stink eye he could muster. "Yeah well, I'm not nice," he snarled.

Percy made to push past her but the girl with a strength he wouldn't have thought possible for an Aphrodite girl, pushed him back. "Say, how about you show me your dragon form. I'd love it if you can show me those big muscles," she said. Something was odd with the girl's voice. It made his brain turn like jelly. He felt that he should obey. Percy was tempted to show her. "Anything for you, m'lady," he said. The transformation was beginning.

Suddenly, a fist slammed into the girl's cheek. She skyrocketed back. "You don't lay your grubby fingers on my boyfriend!" said a voice coldly.

There was a rowdy cheering coming from around him. Annabeth walked around her, twiddling her knife around her fingers while the girl whimpered with a hand over an already purpling bruise.

"If I see that you are touching my boyfriend again, I will become worse than a fifty-foot dragon, is that understood?" Annabeth said in a deadly whisper. "Yes," replied the girl, sniffling in pain.

It looked as if he were watching from a distant memory. Everything looked hazy and the transformation was not stopping but he could just make out the form of Annabeth facing him. "Come on! Snap out of it!" she said snapping her fingers in his face. Percy shook his head and the feeling dissolved.

Annabeth was staring at him with a look of concern though in her face, the anger was clearly showing. "I'm fine," Percy said. "No, you're not fine. That _vampire_ was using charmspeak on you wasn't she," she said, the anger burning even brighter on her face.

Charmspeak was a foreign term to him. It must have clearly showed on his face because she said impatiently, "Charmspeak is the ability to make someone do what you want them to do."

"But who was that girl?" he asked. "Head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, Drew," she said with disgust.

Annabeth stared at him coldly. "I can't be gone a second without you getting in some kind of trouble," she said. Percy was about to lash out at her but thought better of it.

"Are you sure you can stand a few minutes without me?" Annabeth asked him, her expression softening slightly.

"Of course I can, I am a dragon after all," Percy said, raising his eyebrows at her.

She returned it back. "Not all the time," she corrected in which Percy gave her an exasperated frown. "We'll be starting the quest soon so be patient," she said.

"Anyways, I'm going to hit the showers. I feel dirty," he said dryly. "You don't need to tell me that," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes.

Percy blushed.

* * *

He hadn't had a proper shower since he had arrived. Percy was glad to have a nice and refreshing shower. That is, until the untimely Iris-message.

Before the Iris-message arrived, Percy was scrubbing his armpits, humming to himself slightly. He turned and a miniature rainbow appeared and his mom was facing him from a floating image. She immediately recoiled, covering her eyes.

Percy shrieked as he snatched the curtains to cover himself. While still staring at the Iris-message, he felt his way to the towel rack. He nabbed the first one his hand reached and covered himself, releasing his tight fist on the curtains.

"You can look now Mom," Percy said sheepishly. Sally sighed then opened her eyes. She shrieked almost immediately.

Paul, Percy's second step-father, came into the picture. "What happened Sally?" he said, looking very frightened. Paul looked at him and yelped as well. "Your eyes? Your muscles? What happened?" Mom said, looking very panicky.

Percy took a deep breath preparing for the lie. He detested lying to his Mom but if he told the truth, Mom would freak.

"A camper decided he wanted to play a prank on me. I accidentally drank _Essence of Snake _with blue Coke. Nothing that is incurable though," Percy finished, somewhat lamely. Sally studied him. He felt like he was being X-Rayed, picking out feelings and thoughts. She was extremely good at doing that. His mom seemed unconvinced but strangely, she didn't push it.

Paul on the other hand, looked very intrigued. "How did you're eyes get like that. It's surprising you can even see us. Naturally, snakes can't technically see. They have heat sensors in the roof of their," Paul stopped. Mom had put her hand in his and Paul shut up completely. Seeing this, a weird feeling arose in his throat. Percy couldn't identify the emotion

"Anyways, we uh. . . . Paul and I have our wedding on the 20th. I hope it doesn't come as a great shock to you," said Mom, shifting slightly.

Percy felt breathless. His vision blurred. "That's amazing. If you're really happy with him then go for it," Percy said, smiling.

"Oh thank you," she said, tearing up. She seemed to have forgotten this was an Iris-message because she tried to hug him which caused the image to blur. "Sorry," Mom apologized. "I thought the 20th since it'll fit into our lives. We'll take you on the 18th if that's fine with you. Annabeth can come too if she wants to," she explained.

A lump formed in his throat. The 20th was the day before the winter solstice. He wouldn't be able to make it. Percy stared at his mom's expectant face. There was no escaping it. He had to tell her the truth.

Before he could gather the courage to tell the truth, the image blurred worse than ever. Something was interfering with the call. "I'll see you later! Send me letter won't you?" Mom said, her voice distorting. Then the Iris-message shut off completely.

* * *

"Argus is waiting for you. Get going you three," Chiron said.

Percy, Annabeth, and Clarisse, Grover, and Tyson were in the big house. The two girls nodded and proceeded to the door. Percy remained were he was.

"I guess this is goodbye. then," said Grover nervously. He extended a shaking hand. Percy was at a loss of words. He resorted to just shaking his hand. In a way, Percy felt angry too. They had gone a quest to hunt a monster before. Why was Grover backing out now? Tyson simply nodded at him, looking queasy. "Bathroom," he announced and fled. They both left and Percy turned towards Chiron.

Percy's intestines were twisting and wiggling around in his stomach. He still had not written the letter but that was only one of his worries. Percy had a question that popped up last night and it was bugging him.

"Why do the gods want to kill me? Don't they know that there is a cure?" Percy asked.

Chiron took a hasty gulp and lay down his cup of hot chocolate which sloshed over the sides. "As far as history tells us, there is no cure. Heroes before you had this same . . . ah, problem and they are now just untamed magical reptiles. As for a cure, there is none. The gods powers can not take it away, not even if all the Olympians worked together. Besides, you are very powerful. That dragon will make you more powerful than ever and you will destroy all of western civilization," Chiron said.

Percy stared into the eyes that seemed to have seen everything. He was lying.

"Is there anyway that I can take this out?" he asked as he plopped his left arm on the table. Chiron studied it with an expression of disgust. "It was a snake used to torture the guilty. I daresay that it can also control anything once it's inside," he explained.

"And there's something else I want to tell you," Percy said. And he explained the dream to him. Chiron's expression was shaking his head slightly but Percy did not stop.

"When I asked the lady if it were her that sent it, she seemed caught off guard. It seemed like it wasn't her that sent it," Percy said. Chiron, who was reaching for his cup, froze.

"You're hiding from something from me, aren't you?" Percy asked angrily. "Argus is waiting," Chiron said bluntly.

"Tell me!"

"I will not!"

"Tell me!"

"_**NO!"**_ Chiron yelled, now looking very agitated. "There are things that are too hideous to say," he said, attempting to calm himself. "There is nothing too hideous to say! I've already dealed with worse! Or have you forgotten? Tell me!" Percy demanded.

"_**I SAID NO!"**_ he screamed, slamming a fist on the table with a boom too loud for Percy ears. It cracked right down the middle then it fell away, clean in half. **"MY ANSWER HASN'T CHANGED AND IT WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED AGES FROM NOW! LEAVE MY SIGHT!" **he yelled, stabbing a finger towards the door. His eyes were murderous.

Normally, Percy would have zoomed out of there but he stood his ground. "Tell me!" Forcing every syllable into his words. Next thing he knew, he was flying over the porch onto the hard ground, flipping and bouncing until he slid to a halt. Percy groaned and spit dirt out of his mouth.

Above him were the faces of campers murmuring. To him, it felt like a dull buzz against the fury that coursed through his veins.

White-hot anger seared through him. Before he knew it, he was up and starting towards the Big House. The monster inside him was rising like a snake from long-grass. The anger that bubbled just below the surface these days, erupted then nausea rolled over him from nowhere. His head was aching fit to burst as he swayed. Percy shook his head attempting to throw off the fury but it was like trying to stop a train.

"Stop . . ." he moaned. The rage at Chiron was growing stronger. With intense difficulty, he managed to turn around towards the awaiting van.

"What took you so long?" Annabeth said loudly. Clarisse looked merely bored. The anger was still hot and every comment fueled it. "Don't talk to me," was all Percy said as he stormed towards the back of the van.

The two girls obeyed his warning well because they did dare talk to him until they had reached the train station. "Thanks," he said, turning to Argus. His stern expression did not change. Every eye seemed to be focusing on his eyes. Annabeth turned towards him and tossed some black glasses at him. "We don't want the mortals to see your eyes," she explained. He slipped it on and his vision turned dark. To be honest, he really disliked the glasses. They seem to be hindering his ability of sight.

The station was packed. A family speaking in rapid french almost ran him over with their suitcases at which he hissed angrily at them. They probably must have stood out because people turned to stare at them. Once, his glasses were almost knocked off by blow from the elbow.

The trio bought their tickets and waited at the benches for the train departing to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Clarisse leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Just so you know, I'm not going to get in the way of your love life," she said. Percy didn't have a response so he sat there until something jarred him.

"The ride is going to take more than a day's worth. Where am I going to transform?" he said, panicking. Clarisse rolled her eyes and muttered, "In the bathroom."

This threw a memory of what felt like centuries ago into his mind. The one with Clarisse almost shoving his face into the toilet. Percy rounded on her.

"I am definitely not going to the bathroom to transform! Do you know how uncomfortable that would be?" Percy asked.

"It's either that or facing mortal authorities," Clarisse said who seemed to be clearly enjoying herself. Percy was about to throw a retort when Annabeth spoke up.

"Clarisse's right, Percy. It won't be good to make a public display." she said. Percy glared at both of them but gave in. Annabeth must have noticed his anxiety because she said quickly, "Relax. We bought a carpartment and our own bathroom for ourselves."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who is going to be cramped in a bathroom," Percy muttered under his breath.

They were quiet after that. People bustled on. He decided most unwisely to annoy Clarisse. "Mind if I call you Clare for short?" Percy asked. WHAM! Percy was knocked to the ground. His cheek was swelling but almost immediately, it healed. "Don't you dare call me Clare!" she said, balling her fists. Percy knew he deserved it. Still, he felt that rush of anger again but he decided it was best not to a hit a girl.

He sat down again and waited but he didn't have to. An announcer with a cool, female voice rang, "Trains B and C departing to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania now boarding. Please remember about your belonging's as you proceed."

The trio advanced to the train at the far end of the station. They flashed their tickets and were lead into their own compartment. The bathroom, Percy noticed was incredibly small. "Thought it would be bigger," he grumbled as they sat down.

He took off his glasses and set them aside. Annabeth winced.

"In that case, there must be a change of plan," said Annabeth.

Percy snorted. "Gods, I hope this plan isn't as bad as the last one," he said. Annabeth glared at him with the full intensity of her gray eyes. Percy must have imagined it but her pupils flickered into cat-slits, like a snakes. "What? You look as if you seen a ghost," said Annabeth. Percy looked away. "Its nothing," he replied. Annabeth studied him critically.

"Anyways, you need to be in here when you transform. We will lock the doors and cover the windows. We'll be in the bathroom so you can undress. Got it, Seaweed Brain?" asked Annabeth. Percy sighed. "Yes," he replied.

"Oh and something else, we need to cover your mouth so everyone won't hear you screaming," she said.

"What!?"

"Wait, I may have got just the thing," Annabeth said, holding up her index finger while she rummaged through the bulging backpack. She frowned as she moved through the bag and she pulled out a roll of . . . . duct tape.

"Who in Hades, would someone pack duct tape!" Percy yelled.

"It's all I've got," she said with a weak smile.

Percy sighed as he slammed the back of his head on the seat.

The train started to move. Before long, they were traveling into open land. Percy watched as open prairie rolled past the window.

Percy's intestines were wiggling madly. "If you will excuse me," he announced and left but not to the bathroom.

Percy went to another seat and fished out an envelope, paper and pencil from his pocket. His pencil hovered of the paper, decidingly. It felt like hours before he started writing. Finally, he touched pencil to paper and he began to write.

_The truth hasn't always been the easiest to say. Nevertheless, I must confess. I was attacked. A dragon came while we were on our date and it possessed me. That's why my appearance isn't exactly human. Every night, I become this hideous dragon. Anyways, I will be traveling south to Florida. The cure is somewhere there it seems. I don't want you to worry for me though. In case I don't return, know that I love with all my heart. Tell Paul that dragons can see in full color._

_ -Percy_

Percy bit his lip, his pencil hovering over the paper before he dropped the pencil to the side. He folded it until he could easily slide the letter in the envelope. He licked the glueing area which was a huge mistake. Percy flattened it and held it to his face. The paper disintegrated slowly at the place were he had licked it. So his venom did have very acidic qualities as well. Percy sighed and tucked it into his pocket. The only problem left was delivering it. They would be a thousand miles away when they would arrive into Harrisburg. Percy returned to where the two girls sat.

They were talking in hushed whispers. They stopped abruptly when they saw him. Percy pretended not have noticed that. He slid into the booth with Annabeth. Percy tossed the half-melted envelope on the table. "Do any of you ladies know if there is a way to send this, you know, like in an . . . uh, un-mortal way," he said shifting on his seat uncomfortably. Percy could feel Annabeth's eyes on the side of his head. Then the two girls burst out laughing.

"Did you hear him!"

"Yeah called us ladies!"

They giggled until they saw the look on his face. "I was asking," he said forcefully, glaring at both of them, "if you knew a way to send a message, I mean straight from here."

They were silent then Annabeth spoke up. "There is no way you can send something straight from here. No wait, there is a way," she said, her eyes lit up.

"Hermes will able to send it but I need you to hide in the bathroom. It won't be advisable for him to see you," she explained. Percy informed her of the address. He rose and headed towards the bathroom door.

Percy waited. He could see everything around him. From outside, he heard Annabeth muttering something under her breath and there was a Pop!

"I hear you need to send something," said Hermes. Something was wrong with his voice. It was hallow and cold. There was silence from the other end.

"What stamp would you like," Hermes asked lazily. "Anything would be fine, thank you," Annabeth said. Another pop and everything was silent.

"You can come out now Percy," she said. He resumed his seat at the table. Percy became aware of his stomach growling. "I'm famished. Shouldn't we order something?" Percy said. They nodded. The trio asked for their meals. Percy had ordered his steak rare and blue coke which attracted a funny look from the waiter. The others went for healthy.

By the time they were done eating and talking, the sun was halfway through its descent from the sky and the unforbidding moon was rising. The pain he would endure made his insides squirm and his heart was beating out of his chest.

"I believe its time for you take your potion," Annabeth suggested. Percy nodded. As always, it tasted horrible. It quite destroyed his appetite. Now there was an air of tension. They moved to cover the windows and lock the doors. "Ready?" Annabeth asked. Percy gulped. "Why do I have to transform?" he groaned too softly for their ears.

A few minutes later, his mouth was duct-taped and the two girls had covered the windows and locked the doors.

"Don't forget to undress," Annabeth reminded him. Percy glared at her. The bathroom door slammed shut.

Grumbling, he began to undress.

**Annabeth**

Annabeth and Clarisse waited and waited.

Then came the blood-curdling scream. There was a boom indicating that he had fell to his knees. Every scream was tinny and far way but it reverberated around her skull. Annabeth wished so badly that she could help him but she know there was nothing she could do.

There was more crashes and she heard the screams volume increase by ten-fold. The duct-tape must have fallen off.

Annabeth moved cautiously towards the door. She pushed the door. It would not budge. "**HEY! MOVE IT!"** she demanded. She saw the pressure on the door slackening. Annabeth pushed open the door. She waved behind her to indicate that it was safe to go outside. Annabeth turned and she gasped.

His appearence had changed. The top of his jaw was a steel gray. The bottom of his jaw was an aqua blue. His throat was blood-red. Horns stuck out of his head. His mucles bulged and Percy was the size of the whole compartment. Wings were tucked behind his back. Spikes stuck out of his scaly backside. His eyes were glowing green. He looked kinda squashed.

Instantly, Annabeth had fallen in love. Even for a reptile, he was like a god. Percy looked calmly down at her with those gleaming green eyes. He looked regal and collected. Annabeth forced herself to look away.

She nervously turned behind her. No one seemed to be troubled by anything. Clarisse let out a whistle. "Glad that's done," she said.

The trio saw the same same thing. Out the window, something had swooped towards the train. Dead silence. Everyone was tense. "What was tha-?" she asked. Then came the blow. The train felt like it had flipped over.

For a moment everything was chaos. She slammed into the other side of the compartment. Glass flew. One shard embedded itself into her thigh and she let out a howl of pain. Then everything flipped back to normal. She was dazed. Sirens blared. People were screaming. Annabeth tried to stuanch the bleeding wound. She hissed in pain.

Percy looked simply battered. Annabeth looked around, their was no sign of Clarisse. "Geroff me!" said a muffled voice. "Sssorry," Percy said. He lifted himself off the ground and there was Clarisse sporting a bleeding nose. She rolled out clutching her nose.

"Wait here," Percy said. He raised both his arms to the ceiling and pushed. With his brute strength, the roof flew off and Percy jumped onto the other compartment. "Wait!" she pleaded. Annabeth tried to move but she collapsed with pain. She watched as Percy disappeared from her view.

**Percy**

The wind whipped his face as he moved along. Percy was sure it was a dragon that had caused that mess.

Percy saw it. It had red eyes and was as big as him. The dragon's hide was a pure red. The dragon flew at him. Percy blocked and he was knocked backward. It swiped at him. He ducked and Percy countered with a punch to the belly. It shrieked and the dragon kicked him full in the face. He fell off his feet. It jumped at him but he pushed himself up off the floor and kicked him with both legs. Percy was on his feet again.

Behind the dragon was a hole made on the side of a mountain and they were headed straight toward it. Percy dropped to the ground and the dragon did likewise in the nick of time.

Everything went dark except the light at the front of the train. They kicked and swiped with their tails. The train came out of the other side of the mountain and jumped to their feet once more.

Punch after punch. Kick after kick. Bite after bite. Fireball after fireball. Tail swipe after tail swipe. They wrestled and fought.

Percy connected with a good punch to the face. The dragon screeched and flew off into the air. Percy tensed his powerful legs and jumped, beating his massive wings against the snowy night. Thunder flew as they resumed their fight, this time in the air.

Percy didn't how long they had been fighting.

The dragon grabbed and held him. Percy was unable to move. It flew straight down towards the train. The dragon kicked him downward and Percy fell like a rock towards the train. He crashed into a compartment filled with people. The dragon flew down and resumed the fight.

Adults screamed as kids kept cheering, whether for him or for the other dragon he did not know. Percy saw the mortal's frightened out of their minds. He couldn't let the people be at the mercy of the dragon.

Percy jumped up to another segment of the train. The dragon followed him. They fought with renewed force as they moved closer to the front of the train.

They were now at the very front of the train. Percy breathed flame at it full in the face. The Red dragon grunted in pain and kicked him.

Percy flew to the edge of train. He was only hanging by his fingertips. The dragon bared down at him and bit. Percy dodged and slapped at him with his tail. It hit the dragon in the eye and it howled in pain, falling back. Percy climbed up.

The dragon was missing an eye. It swiped at him with his tail. Percy expected this and grabbed hold of it's tail. Percy spun the dragon over him like a lasso and threw him over the side.

It slammed onto the train tracks. The dragon tried to stand but it fell back. The train hurtled towards it. The dragon uttered one last screech before the train ran it over with a loud SPLAT! It burst into dust and the remains flew off into the wind.

Percy was breathing heavily and he allowed himself to fall into oblivion.

**A/N: That was longest chapter I have ever written. It took many hours to finish this up. I won't be able to update soon because I have state testing once this weekend is over. I need to study. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 13: Storm Clouds Ascending**

**Meanwhile, Back at Sally's House**

Sally had been waiting anxiously for a response. She worried about Percy. She knew he was lying but of what? It just didn't seem like Percy at all.

Paul and Sally were having breakfast. She hadn't touched a thing but was turning her glass around in her hand listlessly. She felt sick, like throwing up. "You look terrible. Did you have a nightmare?" asked Paul anxiously. Sally stopped twirling the glass. She shook her head.

"I've been thinking . . . maybe Percy is lying to us. It just didn't seem like him with the Iris-message. He's hiding something from us, something much worse than a drink of _Essence of Snake_," said Sally quitely. She was terrified for her son. Her hand trembled on the glass cup.

"A monster maybe? I haven't been up-to-date with all of the Greek monster's," guessed Paul.

Sally felt like she had been poured with a bucket of ice-cold water. A _monster_, yeah, that fit it. But that didn't explain the snake-like look of him.

Paul stood up. "I'm going to check the mail," he announced and left the room. Almost immediately, she adverted her eyes from a flash of light. She had opened her eyes and a god was standing in the kitchen. Sally recognized him as Hermes.

The prospect of getting Percy's response rose her spirits but she braced herself for collassal hurt.

"If you will sign here," he asked lazily holding out a clipboard and pen. Sally grabbed the pen and began to write her signature feverishly. She was so immersed in getting to that letter that she didn't bother when two snakes curled around her fingers.

Hermes handed her the letter and disappeared with a _POP! _Percy really had sent it. She gasped in relief.

Sally began to tear the envelope and took out the letter. She scanned the letter and her relief vanished. A sob welled up in her throat and she dropped the letter on purpose. It fluttered to the ground and came to rest on the carpet. Anger and grief made her grab the envelope and rip it in half. She let the sobs escape and she collapsed in a chair. Sally buried her face in her hands, letting the tears flow onto her trembling hands.

**"**Still no letters yet," said Paul entering into the room. Noticing Sally's sadness, he ran to comfort her. "What is it?" he asked. She did not answer.

Paul looked down at the ripped letter and picked up both pieces gingerly as if it were highly explosive. He fit the pieces together and began to read. Paul looked up at her hidden face.

Slowly, she let her hands fall away from her face and turned to look at the Paul straight in the eyes.

"I am going to find whoever did this to my son. And when I do, I am going to murder them. Mortal or not," she said, staring deep into his eyes as if challenging him to say otherwise.

Paul did not.

**Percy**

Percy could feel the breeziness on his face. Light leaked into his closed eyes with a faint red glow. He opened his eyes. Above him, the sun cast a faint shadow along the snow-capped mountains in the backdrop. To the side was a tiny forest.

With a jolt, Percy realized he was human again but that meant he had to be naked. Yet, he was fully dressed. His intestines wiggled madly. Who had dressed him?

Percy sat up. Annabeth was cooking sunny-side eggs in a little pan over the fire. Clarisse however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hope you had a good night sleep," she said. Percy's tongue twisted into knots. He gave the dumbiest response ever.

"Were you were the one who dressed me?" he asked. "Yup," she said, as if it were perfectly normal to dress an unconscious naked guy that just so happens to be your boyfriend. "You dressed me?" he said, gaping.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I already answered that question, Seaweed Brain. Got anymore dumb questions?" she asked, flashing her grey eyes. Percy realized that she hadn't said that since they had been 12 years old. Gods, has it been that long?

Percy stood and began to pace. He felt stiff and aching. "But I was naked and you dressed me . . ." he said. His brain failed to grasp the reality that Annabeth dressed him while he was naked. Percy imagined himself limp and unmoving while Annabeth was pulling his boxers up.

"Oh no, no, no , no. You can't be serious?" he asked, turning towards her. "Calm down," she said at her best attempt at comforting him but he was far from being comforted. "I can't calm down. Haven't you ever heard of privacy? I could've done it myself."

Annabeth grimaced guiltely. "I'm sorry, okay?" she said angrily. Percy couldn't bring himself to stare into her eyes. He wanted to put as much distance away from her but he couldn't bring himself to leave.

Percy wanted to hit something. He forced himself to change to the subject. "Where are we?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"We are most likely past the border dividing New York and Pennsylvania, in the outskirts of the Appachilian Mountains. Our train stopped halfway there. The mortals were in awful uproar. We had to find you and flee before the mortals could catch another glimpse of you. You had to drag you and you were hurt badly. Its noon if you're wondering," she explained.

Percy groaned. Another transformation? After what happened?

Annabeth held up the pan. "Hungry? They're getting cold."

Clarisse had reappeared. After they had eaten, the trio returned to where the train-tracks were and followed it.

The tracks snaked their way across mountains, tunnels, and rivers which required them to get on the tracks and slowly move along with dangerous footing. The bitter winds and mist made them practically blind to were they were putting their foot. Once or twice, he had almost fallen down into the void.

Even with double sweaters on, Percy shivered uncontrollably with chattering teeth. It felt like two hours before they had came to the top of a high hill. They could barely make out the city lights through the mist.

They trudged along until they had reached the town. Few people were walking around. The snowstorm had gotten worse. The trio rushed into the nearest diner. Thankfully, the diner was warm and toasty. The signs told him that they had walked right into a Denny's. With only cold eggs in his stomach, Percy was quite hungry as they were guided to a booth.

They searched the menu. Percy was going for the _Macho Nacho Burger._ The others went _again_ for healthy. "Try something else for a change. It won't hurt," Percy said. Clarisse scowled at him while Annabeth merely laughed.

"I don't think that is a wise choice," Annabeth said, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. "What isn't a wise choice. I never make wise choices remember?" Percy said, a smile also tugging at his lips. She rolled her eyes.

"Didn't you read the description. It has chile in it. All I'm saying is, its going to be spicy," she said.

It was Percy's turn to roll his eyes. "Annabeth, I breathe fire. A little spicyness isn't going to hurt," he said. Annabeth laughed.

The waitress came over. "What drink would you like?" she asked them.

"Coffee for all three of us please," said Annabeth. They each placed their orders. "Ok. They'll be coming in a moment," she said. Percy looked up.

They had locked eyes and her smile faded instantly. What was wrong? Then it dawned on him. He wasn't wearing his glasses. The waitress gave a weak smile that looked more like a grimace and sped off into the kitchens.

As soon as she left, Annabeth punched him in the gut. "Didn't I tell you to wear those glasses? There was a reason why I gave them to you," she hissed. Annabeth smashed the glasses onto his face.

Percy looked at up at the TV hanging overhead and his heart jolted. There in clear red letters at the bottom of the screen said: _Breaking News: Attack in a train heading south. Is the mythical creature real? _Above, a man was talking about the events of the "incedent."

"Last night, a train heading from New York to Harrisburg Pennsylvania was stopped due to some malfunctions and claims that the passengers had seen massive crocodiles fight in a crowded train. After, the train operator claim to have hit one of them. Few say that the two crocodiles were actually full-fledged dragons. Most others said that it was definitely crocodiles. But conflicting ideas as some of you may know, crocodiles can't live in cold regions. Many witnesses say they had seen two female girls of about 17 were seen fleeing the scene taking the crocodiles with them. Police are invesigating the scene but have had no luck of finding them. Here is a picture of the two girls," the news guy said.

On the screen appeared Annabeth and Clarisse who both seemed to have looked back when they were lugging him forward, right when the picture had taken them. The picture showed no lies. His face was clearly visible and perfectly dragon-like in the picture.

"The photo conflicts with most eye-witness accounts. The crocodiles were actually real-life dragons. Police urge you to report sightings of any dragons in the area or of the two young lady's to," the guy said a telephone number. He continued to talk about train damage and discused the legend of dragons.

"They're watching you," whispered Annabeth. She nodded in the direction of where the waiter and police officer were talking in hushed whispers. The waiter stopped talking when they say him. The police officer lumbered over.

"Holey Hades!" Percy whispered. "Just stay calm," she said. Clarisse nodded.

The officer had reached her table. Annabeth and Clarisse looked up at him kindly. "What seems to the problem officer?" Annabeth said politely.

He scowled at them. Percy rolled his eyes slightly. Why are the police never polite? The officer didn't even have the decency to say hi.

"You two better come with me. Oh, and you too," he said, pointing at him. The trio were thinking the same thing. None of them could bend the Mist. Only Thalia was able to do that.

Nevertheless, Annabeth and Clarisse stood. Percy stood as well.

In the blink of an eye, the officer had them both hand-cuffed and kicked to the ground. White-hot anger seared through him like never before her. The dormant monster inside him woke. No one touches his girlfriend. He wanted to hurt this guy so badly.

Percy took off his glasses. The officer made to cuff him too but stopped momentarily looking at his eyes. This gave him enough time to kick him with the flat of his sneakers. The officer flew across the diner and slammed into the wall. He fell onto the table, unconscious.

Percy bent next to Annabeth first and transformed his hands into scaly claws. Percy ripped apart the chains as if they were made of wet play-dough and moved to Clarisse. He grabbed both their arms and ran out the doors into the snowstorm.

They dashed across the city, zigzagging through traffic. A police officer yelled at them to stop. _Like Hades is that gonna happen, _Percy thought to himself. They did not stop until they had reached the forest.

The two girls doubled over gasping for breath. At the far end of the forest was a faint silver light that hummed like a powerful engine. Percy remembered what that meant.

"Come on," he said. This time, the girls did not complain. The silvery light became larger as they ran towards it. _They_ would be able to solve their predicament.

The trio stumbled upon a camp. Tents were set up and wolves were tied to posts. At the sight of them, they began to bark and tugged at their chains. A girl no more than 16 years old. Percy recognized her. It was Artermis. She smiled at them. "I've been expecting you."

**Annabeth**

They sat down. Thalia sat next to Artemis. Clarisse was on the other side of her. Percy was ordered to sit right in front of Artemis. Phoebe sat on the other side of Artemis.

Percy seemed to be a bit disappointed though he looked very rigid, as if bracing for a hit. He was as white as chalk. Percy shot a nervous glance at her, his eyes wild with worry. Poor boy. He was thinking that she was going to join the hunters. Annabeth shook her head and color flooded into his face.

"Phoebe, please go and bend the mist around the officers. We don't want the mortals here," Artemis asked. Phoebe nodded and exited the tent.

"The gods are not in your favor boy," she said. Artemis seemed to glance towards her. Annabeth understood that she was thinking of her mother. "I know that," Percy said matter-of-factly.

"Then why did you come?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "We just came to," Percy faltered, "visit."

"The gods will decide sooner than you think," Artemis said.

"Why are you trying to stop us if you know that there is a cure," he asked.

"Hasn't anyone told you that there is no cure? Your efforts are futile. It is better death than lay waste to Western Civilization," she said. "Well the prophecy says otherwise," Percy said.

Deathly silence. Thalia nodded. "Lady Artemis, it is unwise go against a prophecy. If the prophecy says so then he has a chance," Thalia said. She had a point.

Artemis turned towards Annabeth. What she said next surprised her.

"I know you have been interested in the past in joining the Hunters. We will be glad to have-"

"No," snarled Percy. He was on his feet with his fists curled into balls. "She can't join. Annabeth would never do it, right?" Percy asked her. He was silently pleading and his face was drained of color again.

"You are speaking for yourself. Let the girl decide," she said. Annabeth stared into her eyes.

"There was a time I was interested in joining the Hunters, yes. As a matter of fact, I still have the brochure. But like you said, it was in the past. Not now. Not ever. I would very much like to be with Percy. I would never give that up just to join the Hunters," she said plainly. Percy beamed at her.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, regarding her carefully. "So, you admit to consorting with a monster," he said. "Percy is not a monster!" she yelled. Percy seemed to shrink back a little with the sound.

"Dragon or not, he is not a monster deep down. I am sure of that. You would only see what is on the outside. You are blind to what is in the inside. He is still very much human, at least for now. Percy is not weak. He will not fall so easily to evil," she said calmly as if they were talking over morning tea. Percy looked down, most likely out of guilt.

"You have the most authority with the council of the gods, especially when it comes to so-called monsters. Please, we need your help to convince the gods to not kill him. Percy," she stopped, a sob was welling up in her throat, "I wouldn't be able to stand it if he were to be a monster forever."

Artemis studied her with eyes that most likely have seen so many death's at the hand of demons and monsters. She turned to Percy. "Very well. I will try to convince that your predicament is not hopeless but I can not gurantee that will be able to change the gods minds. The only god on your side is Poseidon. He seems sullen as of late," she said and frowned, thinking.

"I can't imagine why," Percy said sarcastically, folding his arms. Artemis gasped and Thalia jumped to her feet. "What's wrong?" she asked. Artemis pointed at the serpent tattoo on his left arm. "That mark, I remember it. It is ancient, as far back as the the first Titan War. Where did you get it?" she asked.

Percy filled her in on the dream. Artemis face went pale. "And she was from the earth?" she asked, panic-strickened. "Yeah, looked like it, why?" he asked suspiciously. The little color she had left vanished. "By Zeus's throne, I hope I'm wrong," she said. Artemis was wild eyed and fear crossed her usually brave face. "I need to speak with the council. Thalia, please watch over the Hunters while I am gone. Time is repeating itself. I need to warn them," she said. Her face was grave and she was almost out the tent before they stopped her.

"Who is it?" the trio asked in unison. Artemis turned and this time, she didn't bother to hide the fear etched on her face. "From you what you tell me, the goddess was Gaea," she said. A cold shock ran through Annabeth.

Percy frowned. "Isn't she supposed to have birds on her arms and sing," he questioned. It was Annabeth who answered.

"Percy, you are talking about Snow White. The one we are talking about is the worst of the goddesses. She cannot be killed, cannot be defeated, but only kept asleep. If she can commune with you even in dreams, it means she is waking. The world would end if she awoke fully. An apocalypse really," she said. Ice needles poked at the back of her neck and it wasn't because of the cold. The fire around the tent sputtered.

Percy looked down-cast. "What did the goddess tell you do, with that snake?" Artemis asked adruptly. Percy hesistated. "She told me to bring the gods down and kill anyone who got in my way. That was why she improved my form at night. To aid me," he said, turning away.

Annabeth was shocked. "You didn't say that when you told us," she said. Percy looked guilty and seemed to be very interested with a mud stain. She didn't know where the anger was coming from but she swallowed it.

"I'll be heading off, then," Artemis said and simply faded into the snowy air. One by one, the trio and Thalia crawled out of the tent. Percy was nowhere to be seen. Thalia turned to them with a very serious face. "There is something I need to tell you and it has to do with-"

Annabeth hadn't expected it. A strong and very rough tug pulled to the ground like a dragged toy. She clawed at the leaves trying to find anything she can hold onto. She thought it was one of the wolfs and aimed a blind kick behind her. There was a grunt of pain and instead of releasing her, it tugged harder and it finally succeded at pulling her in.

Annabeth was once again in the tent, unclean though. She was about to pummel the one who dragged her in until she met Percy's eyes. His face was quickly turning rough and scaly. His grip on her wasn't lessening. The way his face looked made her skin crawl. "Help me," he groaned. His eyes were beginning to lose it's emotion as his pupils turned into that of a snake's. Percy was actually crying. Tears streaked his anguished face. Yet, it seemed like Percy was insisting that she was the only one who could help him.

Annabeth didn't know if she blinked or blacked out but the next thing she knew, a dragon stood over her, pinning her to the ground. Everything was chaos. Hunters screamed and grabbed their bows and arrows. It was too late however. The dragon leaned down and sunk it's fangs into her shoulder like if it were paper.

Immediately, dark spots floated around her vision and everything was distorted. The venom was injected into her bloodstream, destroying everything in it's path.

Through the demoral haze, she saw Thalia jump onto Percy's back and stabbed his thigh with a knife. He roared and kicked her. Thalia flew straight into a nearby tree and crumpled to the ground.

This was the final insult to the Hunters. They shouted and released the wolves and hunting eagles. They attacked Percy and arrows flew at him which bounced harmlessly off his armor. Even the eagles and wolfs didn't hurt him but he was getting annoyed. Percy swept his tail and the wolfs were knocked back with a yelp. There was still the eagles to worry about.

Percy beat his massive wings which sent a freezing blast of air over them. He tensed his legs, the muscles bulging against the partially scaly skin of his thigh, and jumped into the air . . . . not before he snatched the unconscious Thalia off the ground.

Clarisse hoisted Annabeth up and ran to the dragon who was still being bothered by the persistent eagles. Clarisse threw the bag on an out-stretched spike protuding from Percy's backside. She probably meant to do more but the dragon had lifted in the sky. She grabbed onto his tail and they swooped into the sky. Clarrisse clutched the tip of his tail for dear life.

Even this was becoming groggy. The venom was most likely all throughout her blood by now. The poison seared through her, eating away from the inside-out. She could feel her heart beating sluggishly and was slowing. Fever broke throughout her. Even in the waves of freezing winds Annabeth felt like she was melting.

If this was death, why did it have to hurt so much? In her mind appeared a man. He was as handsome as a graveyard would have been. His skin was olive-toned. The man had a regal face like well, a god. Midnight black wings shimmered from his back. Annabeth thought he looked like a cupid but he was not a chubby baby. He was a grown man, very handsome, and definitely not chubby. His muscles would have made Percy feel inadequate.

Annabeth instantly recognized him as Death but she didn't know how she knew that.

"You ask why death has to hurt so much? Well, the world is filled with death. In your case, it's sickness," he said.

"Consider what most hero's never had. This will cure any sickness even Percy's predicament. Remember this though, love and death aren't very different from each other," he said and Death disappeared into black smoke.

That was the last thing she could remember before she fell unconscious.

**Clarisse**

Killing monsters, fun. Riding them, not so fun especially when your hugging it's tail for life.

Honestly, Clarisse was afraid that she going to get poop full in the face by the speed these winds were going. The cold was biting at every inch of her skin. She was finding it hard to breathe as the air became thinner.

Below them, towns spread below them. They probably looked like tiny blobs at the end of a massive thing to the people.

Annabeth was getting extremely heavy or she was getting tired but she was losing her grip on her. Clarisse was also losing her grip on Dragon-Percy's tail. Slowly but surely, her hand loosened its grip on his tail.

_We're done, _she thought as her hand slipped and they tumbled through the air. Clarisse kept a firm grip on Annabeth. They dropped like human meteors from the sky. The sight below them made her lose her breath. Somewhere above, she had left her stomach. The ground was coming up really fast like a zoomed up image at speed of sound.

Then something snatched them out of the sky. An enormous scaly hand grasped them and kept them in a firm grip. Percy had saved them. It's tight grip was hurting her shoulders but it was better than becoming a grease spot on the pavement. But the warmness made up for it.

The dragon returned to normal flight straight forward. Clarisse didn't know where they were going but she confided in the reptile. Gods, she couldn't believe she said that.

If they didn't die by falling, they would most likely die by being zapped like a mosquito into the fire. Zeus must be very upset. The lightening was raging but the dragon continued onward.

She looked to her right and saw Annabeth. Wait, how could she have forgotten? Annabeth was in bad shape. Her face was a slimy green. Even with the biting cold, she was sweating at an unbelivable rate. The veins in her neck was green. There was a strange tint to her skin. Believe it or not, she seemed to be getting bigger and a little scaly. Clarisse didn't know what that meant but she knew it was going to be death soon. Unfortunately, Percy wasn't inclined to going to ground level.

Through the gale of freezing wind, she heard someone was screaming at the top of her lungs. Thalia most likely. "Let go of me! I'm scared of heights! Please! No! Mommy! This is too high! Please! Please!" she screamed. She continued to beg with the reptile who still looked indifferent to that. No accounting for them. A bit pathetic really.

Her drowned begs were now becoming insults, creative cursing including some very rude words, and threats. It was only a matter of time before . . . .

**BOOM! **A thunder-strike so loud and bright, she temporarily lost the two senses. It made a direct hit with Percy. The lightning shock spread throughout his body and dropped them.

Once again, they were falling and this time no help was in sight.

**Thalia**

The only thing worse than being carried in the sky by a phychotic dragon was falling with a phychotic dragon.

Honestly, she was about to get revenge at that _reptile. _Her whole body was aching and bruising. but her burst of anger and fear had caused that lightening. Oh, and with her dad's help. _Overdone it a bit dad, _she thought casting a dark look at the rumbling sky.

She looked down which was a big mistake. The ground was becoming closer. If the people below felt warm chunky bits or bobs raining from the sky, she was deeply sorry but she could not help it.

Apart from the dragon, two distinct figures were falling too. They flipped over and Thalia recognized the figures as Clarisse and Annabeth. A backpack was also falling. She wasn't good with summoning clouds but she needed to save them. As for Percy, she was too cross with him to save him.

Thalia stretched out both arms and ordered the clouds to carry the three of them. She felt tugging sensation in her gut and three clouds floated down from the brewing clouds to them. The clouds instead of being vapor-like, was surprisingly solid but they broke. It was only seconds before they would become a grease-spot on the pavement.

Thalia bended more clouds to carry them. The tugging sensation in her gut was becoming painful. Many clouds gathered together and floated under them. They were stronger thankfully, and slowed their fall but it was not enough. The other two flew off in different direction. The dragon veered off the side.

The ground was upon her and she crashed through a warehouse. She tried to land on her two feet which was another big mistake. Both her ankles snapped like a twig and her legs exploded in pain. Thalia crumpled. Her vision had become red with the pain.

Through her groggy vision, she saw both her legs bent at a strange angle. Thalia pulled one back into place. This time she screamed. It took all her will-power to pull the other leg back into positon. She screamed again, tears flowing from her eyes.

Both her legs looked back to normal but the pain had become too much for her and she fainted.

**A/N: Exams have passed but school hasn't slowed down. I have a project due friday so I won't be able to upload another chapter soon. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 14: I Make A Promise**

**Annabeth**

"Percy could've landed anywhere," Clarisse argued. "Did you at least see what direction he was going?" asked Annabeth. Clarisse tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"It seemed that he went over there," she said, pointing out the window where red and blue lights flashed. Annabeth paled. "We need to get there before the police," she said. "However, they have done us a favor. We need to follow them," Annabeth continued.

They climbed onto the rooftop of the diner which wasn't tall. Police sirens wailed and the red and blue lights came and went into the haze of mist.

Annabeth knew that the eidolon was getting to him with that whole fiasco and it was still daylight at that time. She glanced at the sky. It was nearing nightfall. Percy would have changed back already but only to experience the transformation again.

If the police got there fast enough, they would simply find a naked 17-year old. The police would take him into a hospitol no less, and by then Percy would be a full-fledged dragon. They wouldn't acually see it like that but they would notice if something was trashing the place. The thought didn't exactly help her appetite.

They tensed waiting for a passing police car. Almost immediately, one passed by and they jumped onto the car. The roof must have been sound proof because the police officer inside made no sign of noticing.

They speed along into the impenatrable fog. The sirens were starting to give her a migraine. They waited, the dense fog surrounding them. Annabeth squinted into a fog. Something had moved in the air.

Before she had time to react, she felt two taloned feet kick her in the belly and she flipped backward onto . . . . another car? The wind was knocked out of her and she struggled to breathe.

The attacker landed in front of her and pulled her to feet by her hair. Annabeth bit back a cry of pain. It grabbed her by the throat and raised her into the air.

The attacker was definitely a monster. It looked an old grandmother but she had rooster feet and tusks poked out from the edges of her mouth. Her eyes glowed red and her hair was a writhing nest of snakes. Annabeth instantely recognized her as a gorgon but that didn't make her any less creepy.

"Abandon your foolish quest. He still will serve us. It is hopeless. Soon, everyone will be like him, even the mortals you love. Surrender, and you and everyone you love will be spared. Percy will be luietenent of Gaea!" she hissed along with the snakes.

"You . . . . lie!" she gasped but it sounded more like a squeak. The gorgon laughed. "Then you shall die!" she said and Annabeth was thrown onto a house. She gasped, trying to regain her breath. The gorgon was already upon her. She tried to stand but the gorgon scraped her face with her claws. She could feel surprisingly warm blood trickle down from three slashes.

The gorgon charged but this time, Annabeth was ready. She rolled away and stuck her knife into the gorgons side. "Percy will never serve Gaea!" she hissed and pulled the blade making a satisfying _swish_. The gorgon dissolved into ashes.

Annabeth stood still. Another siren jolted her out of her thoughts. A police car was cruising along. She jumped on the roof and waited, keeping a lookout for any kicking monsters. The blood had dried and she was left with a burning pain where the gorgon had clawed her. Annabeth knew she was too late. She hoped Clarrisse would be able to stop them.

**Clarisse**

Clarisse hoped Annabeth had survived. But now she was on her own. The mist had dissolved somewhat.

A few minutes later, they had reached a place where all the police cars were moored, each of them vacant. Clarisse crouched low as the police officer got out of his car and disappeared into an entrance of an abandoned warehouse. Once she thought no one was around, she moved into the warehouse.

To put it plainly, it was big, creepy, dark and designed to be unnavigable. Lights on the wall flickered feebly but entire sections were pitch-black. Clocks chimed casting a menacing melody over the silence. Clarisse pulled out a flashlight from the backpack slung over her shoulder. Once, she thought something behind her had moved. She shined her light there but only catched a glimpse of two beady red eyes. Something was following her. The only thing that guided her was yellow lights bouncing form the walls from hopefully, the police's flashlights.

She wished she had Annabeth by her side. Her wistful thoughts were adruptly cut off by a scream. There was chorus of screams. "Big Bird!" said a voice that echoed from the corridor ahead. There was a horrible squaking and the sound of bullets. Lights flashed.

Clarisse broke into a run and came face to face to her stalker. She had run into a room where a massive clock stood. It was easily as tall as the room. It's hide glistened bronze and had rooster feet. Fangs as long as scimitars gleamed from its mouth. Two glowing cat-slitted beady red eyes stared at her. Instead of having a feathery tail, a snake tail protruded from where his normal tail should have been. Leathery bat wings stretched from it's backside. Yet it looked those movies where there was a bird leaping out from a door when the alarm had been set off.

Fanged cuckoo snake birds. Never heard of that one. It came close to being as terrifying as Percy in his dragon-form.

It pawed the ground. "Sssssscrrreeeaaaaa! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!" it squaked right into her face and set her ears ringing. If giant cuckoo birds could spit, this one definitely would have.

The squad of police officers came into view but it was too late. The cuckoo bird opened its maw. She would've been bird feed if she hadn't lodged her spear in the birds throat. It was eloctrucuted and thrown backward into the wall right next to the squad.

The squad of police were staring at her with a mixture of awe and indignition. By the looks of their faces, they recognized her as one of the girls who was lugging away the crocodile/dragon. Clarisse brushed herself off and cleared her throat. "I'll just find what I came here for," she said cooly and ran past them. The police officers didn't try to stop her.

The abandoned warehouse seemed totally dedicated to make time-measurements. She looked up at the ceiling where a big star-burst shape hole was in clear sight. Clarisse looked down and saw Percy in all his naked glory. He was still out cold.

She grabbed a cloth from one of the big clocks. Showcase maybe? Clarisse wrapped him in it. He was heavy. She heaved up Percy on her shoulder and proceeded to a broken window and stepped out into the cold.

The sky regained its turmoil and flashed. Clarisse looked up. The moon was starting its ascent to the sky.

She kept running, looking for any sign of Annabeth. Gods, she hoped it was soon. Her wish was granted as Clarisse had smacked straight into Annabeth. She wasn't looking good. Three slashes were still bleeding. "What happened to-"

"That's not important! We need to get him somewhere . . . . somewhere safe," she said. Annabeth's expression said it was really important but she was warning her not to ask or she will give her three slashes likes hers.

Drops of water fell on her then the rain came, pattering hard against the pavement. Lightening rumbled.

They found a 3-star hotel at a cheap price. They were happy to get away from the rain. The trio had gotten drenched.

They entered the room which had a nice desk, a plasma TV and two rooms, both decent-sized. Clarisse let out a whistle, rubbing her hands in anticipation. Percy was still out but didn't seem hurt. She plopped him onto the queen-sized bed, still cocooned in the blue sheet.

Then a thought crashed down on her. "Thalia! She's still out there!" she yelled. Annabeth looked at her mournfully. "We can't do nothing for her, assuming she survived the fall," she said. Annabeth groaned tiredly as she crashed on the bed.

They had a nice view of the mountains and the sky. A crescent moon hung over them menacingly. "Its time," Clarisse said.

They tipped the potion into his mouth and he surprisingly swallowed. Percy gave a shudder and became still once more.

Clarisse put the _DO NOT DISTURB _sign on the doorknob. She imagined house keeping passing their door hearing the screams and groans thinking _They're going at it. _

They fled into the bathroom, waiting.

**Annabeth**

Annabeth had the gorgons words quite stuck in her mind. _Soon, everyone will be like him, even the mortals you love. Surrender, and you and everyone you care about will be spared, _the gorgon had said. This really bothered her. _Everyone will be like him. _She knew that the gorgon was talking about Percy. He was a dragon at night and . . . oh gods. Annabeth hoped she was wrong.

She was jarred out of her thoughts when Percy had begun to scream and thrash in agony. There was more screams which became slowly hisses of pain. Annabeth gripped her jeans, her knuckles turning white. The screaming slowed. They pushed open the door.

Percy easily took the whole space. He had the same gleaming red and blue scales. Dragons were definitely meant to be buff. He lifted his head off the floor. "I am never going ussse to thiss," he groaned. Clarisse cleared her throat. "I'll be in the other room," she said entering the adjoining room, closing the door behind her.

Annabeth realized that Clarisse was giving her a bit of private time with Percy. "All I remember isss that terrible pain I couldn't escape, a voice in my head egging me on," he said.

Annabeth explained everything from the bite to her dragon self to landing to finding him, the things she missed basically. Clarisse had filled her in on the way. However she didn't mention the gorgon at all.

Its hard to speak when a dragon looked like he wanted to collapse the place. "What you sssaid back there that I wasn't weak. I couldn't even fight that urge. I am weak. I almost turned you into what . . . . what I am. A monssster," he said angrily.

Annabeth sat at the edge of the bed. A memory she thought had forgetten resurfaced again painfully. She winced. The memory spurred her to speak.

"Something like this happened to Luke except he was possessed by Kronos. Now the same thing happened to you too," she said.

They looked at each other straight in the eye and they understood. Would Percy suffer the same fate as Luke. After Luke had died, Percy was all she had left. But now he was a dragon, a very sexy one. Unless they found something in that cave in Florida, he would stay a sexy but very hostile dragon.

The hole in her chest that had appeared when Luke had died reopened again as painful as ever. "Stop it," she said to herself and realized she had spoken out loud.

"What?"

"Nothing," she snapped a little too harshly. Annabeth didn't want Percy to see her cry. Instead, she grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it then letting the tears flow.

All the worries, the painful memories, her failed attempts at saving the people she loved came crashing down on her. She imagined the falling tears as if they were painful memories leaving her, at least for now. By the end of it, the pillow was damp. She wiped off the remaining tears and flung it over her head. Percy didn't notice.

Percy stared at the hanging moon, its luminosity glinting across his reptilian eyes. Annabeth eased herself onto the ground. She could sense how close her shoulder was to Percy. Annabeth decided Percy was beautiful like a nuclear bomb may be beautiful.

"I . . . . I never really put any attention to the moon until now. Quite beautiful, right?" he asked nervously, turning his head to her. She stared at the mouth that could snap her up easily, the eyes that showed little remorse yet so much worry.

"I wonder how Florida is going to be like. Beaches and year-round warm weather . . ." he said, his voice trailing off. Percy's failed attempts at a conversation amused her. "Its okay, Seaweed Brain. You need not say anymore," Annabeth said, grinning.

She scooched closer to him but realized it wasn't a good idea.

"May I?"

"You can."

Annabeth came closer until her shoulder was really touching his. A sudden urge to be a dragon overtook her. "How does it feel like to . . . to be a dragon," she blurted out, hoping she didn't sound wistful. Percy turned his long neck to glare at her but a more calculating glare. "You can't seriously be thinking-" he said. "No, I'm not. Just wondering," she snapped turning away.

Percy seemed to be deciding whether or not to tell her. He sighed which actually sounded like an exasperated hiss. "From human to this is wierd. Suddenly, you have other body parts to control like a tail," he said, nodding in the direction of his spiky tail. They burst out laughing. The thick cloud of tension broke.

"It is wierd. Now you have wings to control like another hand to guide. You feel beyond powerful. It gets addicting, the power. Breathing fire is like hawking up a spit and boom, your breathing fire. You have venom, fangs, a forked tongue, so many ways to kill. Dragons were born to kill and devour. No one knows because the one who sees disappears. They fear modern society like we humans fear death. I understand their hunger, their desperation, to stop hiding, waiting to show themselves again. It gets wierd, seeing it from a dragons point of view," he said.

Annabeth shifted uncomfortably. If society became weak and dragons begin taking over the land, things could get ugly. Odd, thinking about things so human to a myth that's been evading discovery for so long. Then a thought popped up so crude, she accidently kicked Percy in the face. "Ow!" he roared. "Sorry," she replied. She didn't understand how Percy suddenly became an expert of all things dragon-ish.

It can't be. It _just_ can't be. But there had been myths like how the minotaur was created. She was heading that way if she wasn't careful. "Can humans mate with dragons?" she asked. Annabeth realized saying that was a mistake.

Percy looked horrified. "Is that what you're on about? Promise-"

"It was just a question! I'm going to bed!" she said, flustered. Annabeth barely took a step forward before a scaly hand grabbed her. Percy held her to his face. "Let go of me! Clarisse!" she called, hoping she would call him off.

Percy stared at her in cold fury. "You listen to me and listen hard. Don't ever think about wanting to be a dragon. I want to swear it! Swear it on the River styx that you will not want to be dragon!" he pleaded. It was really worry that was hidden deep in his face.

His grip tightened around her, her ribs screaming in protest. "I swear on the River Styx that I will not want to be a dragon," she choked. Lightening rumbled. Percy dropped her and she crumpled to his feet, gasping and coughing, feeling like her ribs were dipped in lava.

Clarisse burst out from the room. Immediately, Percy slid open the door to the terrace and jumped over the railing, flying off into the trees.

Annabeth stood, clutching her ribs and hobbled to the railing. Something in her snapped, not her ribs. She had gotten bitten and almost died, fell from the sky, and also fought a gorgon who gave her three slashes in just a day. And now the Hunters were hunting for them to find Thalia. She blamed him for everything that happened to her.

"Yeah! Keep flying, you despicable-." she began calling him words so vile, Athena would wash her mouth out with soap for a year. "Don't ever come back!" she finished. Annabeth put her head in her hands on the railing and wept for what felt like hours. She could feel a hand grasping her hand and felt a tight squeeze. Annabeth lifted her head. Clarisse stared at her with concern.

"Come on. Lets get you fixed up," Clarisse said. Annabeth cast another look at the moon and stared into the horizon.

Percy was gone.

She sighed and followed Clarisse, a million things running through her head.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just playing around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

* * *

**Percy**** Jackson and his Dragon Side**

** Chapter** **15: I Set Fire** **To**** the Sky**

**Percy**

The wind rushed across his face as he flew to nowhere. Percy didn't care where he was going. As long as it was away from Annabeth.

He settled at the top of a building, watching traffic move along far below. Percy slumped at the edge of the wall wishing he had never left. His anger turned to guilt then turned to rage and guilt.

Annabeth's words stung him like electricity and unfortunately, he knew how it felt like. _Don't ever come back, _ she had said.

Well, fine.

If she didn't want him back then so be it.

Come on! Why do girls have to be so thick? They were just as hard at figuring out as reading a 1000-page book composed entirely in tiny cursive!

The question from Annabeth bugged him badly. _Can humans mate with dragons?_

If he knew the answer to that question, he would never tell her. Though, it was weird. Trying to imagine a girl moaning in pleasure while a male dragon f*#%ed her in bed was murder. The other way around wasn't much better. Male with female dragon. Now that was weird. It just doesn't happen everyday_. _

Besides, human and dragon are two very different species. Humans are mammals. Dragons are reptiles. He was a dragon at night and human during the day. The leap from human to dragon must be impossible with genetics, etc. Nothing science can't solve, right?

Knowledge is indeed the most powerful weapon you can get but he didn't want to practically hand Annabeth a lightening bolt that she can use against his will.

Percy remembered something that he thought he had forgotten a long time ago. It felt like an eon ago back when he first started camp life, something Annabeth had told him. _You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?_

In this case, _You assume it has to be a male dragon who finds a human female attractive?_ He did find Annabeth attractive. He loved the way she smiled, how she laughed.

But it was always Luke she wanted. He remembered about what Anabeth had said about Luke and them with buildings and beautiful scenery in the background. A world she had created with Luke. End of story. Happy ending but that was never meant to be. The jerk's gone now but why did he still feel envious?

It wasn't him that was enjoying the picnic. It was Luke. But with Kronos taking over his body and a cursed knife, he was dead. Percy was all Annabeth had left. Of course, he knew how hard his death was on her but still . . . . .

Percy was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice thick green tendrils erupting from the ground.

It wrapped around his legs and pulled him to the ground. Before he could burn them off, more grape vines wrapped around his snout, snapping them shut. The more he struggled the more vines grew and the tighter it became around him until he was a green cocoon.

Dionysus materialized in front of him with his tiger print shirt and cherub face. "MMMM!" Percy grunted which meant to come out as _you. _

"I would have killed you a long time ago but the gods thought you did us a favor. Tonight, I will do them a favor by killing you," he said, purple fire glinting in his eyes.

"MMMMMMMM!" he insisted which he meant to say _you're paranoid!_

Percy didn't know how he was going to kill him. Maybe smashing ten bottles of Merlot over his head would do the trick. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to get away. There was no help in sight.

If he was going down, he was going down to the Underworld. Percy would be cool and collected as he faced judgment.

Percy felt hot. Very hot. It felt like he was melting. He smelled flame. Wait, was he on fire? The grape vines turned to ashes and he stood. For a flicker of a moment, fear crossed the gods face.

Percy stared at his claw that had flames curling and dancing across his palm. His scales had turned molten red like lava with flames rolling off him.

"Leave before you make a fool of yoursssself," he said in a voice that definitely wasn't his.

"Please. Give me a chance to save myself and I will find whoever did this to me. It isn't over. Something else is going to happen, most likely worse than the Titan War. If you want to kill me, I won't stop you," he said. Percy leaned back on the wall leisurely and waited. The metal was melting into pudding. He just stared at his nails thinking, _One Mississippi . . . Two Mississippi . . . Three Mississippi . . . ._ The metal was about to crumble . . .

Dionysus slumped back. "I can't. Do whatever you need to do. But don't think this the last you've seen of me," he said.

Percy breathed a sigh of relief. "Go now," he replied. They stared into each others eyes. Pain like never before ran through him, affecting his whole nervous system. Something was hacking into his system. "Killllllllll," hissed a voice in his brain.

Percy lunged at the god knocking them off the building into open air. He knew this was wrong. He tried to stop the urge but it was like trying to stop a train.

It was telling him to kill Dionysus. They grappled and fought. Many bottles of wine were smashed over his head and he shot forth purple flames. A different blast hit him straight in the chest and he buckled.

"You're a bottle-nose dolphin," said Dionysus but it was strangely magnified curling around him head to toe but nothing happened.

It was seconds before impact. Percy held him down and kicked him downward into the rubble. The sound of the blast hurt his ears. He gracefully landed down the ground, flapping his wings.

When the fog cleared, Dionysus stumbled out of the crater 10 feet below in the concrete. Big red welts and bubbles covered his face. Ashes covered his beard. It was like looking at a piece of half-cooked meat. The thought made him hungry. The feeling dissolved and he realized what he had done.

Dionysus wheezed, doubled over. "You have made an enemy of the gods. They . . . will . . . have . . . you," he managed to say.

"Wait!" he said but the god had disappeared. The sound of sirens shook him back. Helicopters trained their lights on him, washing him in white. People were screaming, pointing at him. Percy realized he was still covered in flame. He tried to shut it off but nothing happened.

Percy had to go the unstealthy way. He jumped into the air, flying as fast as he could to the hotel. The helicopters followed him persistently. On the way, the flames disappeared, leaving him a normal thirty foot tall dragon.

Percy dove into a forest below and perched onto the lowest bough of an oak tree. The helicopters circled and moved away. Percy had lost them.

He settled onto the terrace. Percy stared out to the horizon, the helicopters still circling, fruitlessly searching for him. Percy had to run away from the gods before they killed him but he couldn't do anything now as a dragon with the helicopters still circling around the city. Percy had to stay put at least for now.

It felt good, the breeze on his face. He didn't know how long he stood there. The sun rose, washing him in golden light. Percy could feel himself shrinking, changing back to himself.

"It's good to have you back," he said to the sun. Thankfully, the sun did not respond. Percy withdrew into his room to take a shower and put on some clothes. He tip-toed past, recoiling whenever Annabeth moved.

Percy took the quickest shower he had ever taken, put clothes on, ripping his underwear in the process. He tentatively shook Annabeth awake.

"What?" she asked angrily.

"We need to leave. _Now_."

**Annabeth**

Percy looked awful. His hair was wet and disheveled. Both eyes were wild with fear. There were dark circles under his eyes.

Honestly, Annabeth was bottling up the anger she was going to drop on Percy. She had went to sleep crying because of him and now he was rushing them out. He better have a good reason to bother them now.

It was December 4th. Percy still had 18 days left. They had more than enough time to reach Florida and find the secret cave befor the Winter Solstice. There was no Lotus Casino to stop them. They had traveled greater distances than this one. Yet, why did she feel so uneasy?

"I'll explain on the way but we need to leave," he said, not facing her. Percy crossed the room and knocked on the door to the next room.

"Wake up, Clare!" he called.

"I'm awake! Gods!" Clarisse complained, her voice slurred with tiredness. She opened the door, looking like she hadn't had any sleep. They met eyes and she knew Clarisse was telling her _Not now! I'll tell you later._

A few minutes later, they rushing out into early rush hour. Annabeth felt like she would faint from hunger. They raided a McDonald's then continued on their way.

They had to keep a low profile because pictures of her and Clarisse were everywhere. Annabeth gave Percy another sunglasses. He took them without complaint but she could tell he was not a happy camper. He grumbled something like, "I need my sight to hunt."

They jumped on a taxi paying with their lotus cash cards. They driver's mouth dropped when she saw the infinity symbol. "Were to, Your Highness?" he said nervously. Annabeth couldn't get enough of Your highness.

It was Percy who spoke. "Take us as far south as possible. Fassst," he hissed. Percy clamped a hand to his mouth in horror. "Something's wrong with your voice. Are you okay?" he asked, looking at him through the overhead mirror.

"I'm fine," he said a little forcefully. The driver shrugged and they were off.

The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety-five miles-per-hour. They couldn't speak with each other since the driver was there and so they sat in silence, rolling over highways, and hard-paved roads.

Annabeth hated waiting.

Ice needles pushed into her neck feeling as if she was being followed. Several times, she looked back behind them but there was nothing. It didn't make her any less tense.

Percy kept his distance, scooting far away from her which was a wise move on his part because she felt like any moment, she'd be punching him away. His expression changed every second. Sometimes, he shook his head muttering no. Others times, he jolted violently as if he remembered something or surprised him. Whatever he was thinking, it was tormenting him.

There came a scraping of metal and a boom. It was coming from the ceiling and it definitely wasn't a squirrel. The boom was heavy. Then silence. They looked around.

There was a flash of light then came the blast. Her ears popped like a gunshot. "OW!" She moaned, peeling her head of the headrest. Percy and Clarisse were awake but the driver had been knocked out cold.

The door slid open. She turned, catching a glimpse of a dragon 8 times the size of the taxi. There scales were a deep grey like storm clouds. They were smaller than Dragon Percy but they had a certain, well . . . zap to them. The air smelled of ozone.

The storm dragons raised their claws lowering them to point at them but their hands were open as if . . . . The gesture caught her completely off-guard. _Did they want to shake hands with us? _she thought. But it wasn't that. Electricity arced through their fingers, growing into a great yellow ball that zapped and hissed.

Percy must have been either really brave or really stupid. "No!" he screamed. Percy shot in front of her, his back to the dragons, hugging her. Her boyfriend was trying to protect her. The nerve!

Percy looked at her with deepest sadness. The usual bright sea-green eyes darkened. "I'm sorry," he said with a tiny melancholy smile.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed. The dragons let loose the bolts. Percy shook violently and moved no more. His sea-green eyes darkened, staring at her blankly. Percy rolled onto the taxi floor, dead. There was no way he could have survived the blast.

Clarisse was just as lifeless. Annabeth was the only one who had survived but that was soon going to change.

Annabeth didn't know how much she screamed. The outside world had disappeared leaving her with an aching heart. Tears streamed down her face. She felt as if someone were strangling her, pulling her deep into pain. Annabeth hadn't admitted it to him but Percy was her life. Her almost other half of her soul and now she had lost it forever.

She sat on her knees at his body, trying to slap some life into him. "Please! Don't die! I still need you, seaweed brain! You can't die on me!" she screamed, shaking him but he remained lifeless. "Please! Gods, no! PLEASE!" she pleaded with him, her throat coarse with screaming. Tears dripped onto his face. His heartbeat was silent. Annabeth hung her head.

Her utter grief turned to rage. Annabeth turned to the dragon frozen on all fours.

"Gods! Avenge him!" she screamed. Annabeth unsheathed her knife and charged at them but she didn't get far. There was a blast of light and she knew no more.

Annabeth woke in a forest. Her eyes turned to focus on her surroundings. The sun was seating in the distance, its light fracture through the trees. The backpack was still slung over her shoulders.

Next to her was Percy who was sound asleep. Clarisse was the same. A huge weight had taken away from her shoulders. Percy was alive.

As if sensing her movement, Percy awoke, staring at her. He groaned and sat up. "Don't tell me. It was dragons, right?" he asked. Annabeth nodded but her head was full of questions. They should be dead, eaten by those storm dragons but they were alive and whole but who knows when they would come back?

Annabeth marched to Clarisse and shook her awake. "We have to leave right now," she said. She gave Percy the potion. "Almost forget about the transformation," he said with an melancholy smile.

The trio tramped through the forest, Percy in the lead, cringing at the slightest sound in the distance. They weren't the definition of stealthy with all the leaves crunching under their feet. The sky turned a dark voilet as darkness settled.

Percy fell to the ground suddenly. Annabeth and Clarisse cursing at the knarled tree roots had tripped over Percy in a most unflattering way.

He began to scream but Annabeth clamped a hand over his mouth with only muffled screams escaping through her hand. Something wet and smooth touched her hand. She screamed and fell on her butt. A forked tongue flicked out from his now slavering jaws with fangs.

Percy renewed the screaming with much ferocity that she knew he had attracted every damn monster in the place. His pupils had slitted and wings surfaced from his spine, extending over them like the worlds largest umbrella. His muscles grew and became scale-claded of brightest red like blood.

The screaming stopped and they opened their eyes. Regular old dragon Percy stood in front of them on all fours. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. Those cat-like eyes and blood-red scales made him look devilish. They just stared and Percy didn't like it. "Got a problem with my looks? Now lets go before we are all eaten!" Percy hissed turning around. He walked on through the woods.

coul, "If he doesn't keep a lid on that temper of his, we'll be the ones eaten."

Without looking back he said, "As far as I am concerned, you have anger management issues yoursssself." Percy could hear her growling in anger. "At least I don't have the bigger ego," Clarisse retorted. He turned. "Would you like me to fry your butt off?" he snarled. "You indespicable reptile! I'll-"

"ENOUGH!" Annabeth yelled. The look in her eyes made him step back. "I'll fry both your butts off if you don't shut up! We most likely have brought monsters from every corner of this damn forest! If you don't mind, I would like to survive without all your racket! Its making me sick," she snarled. Annabeth walked ahead with a flick of her hair. Percy and Clarisse just stared at her in amazement.

Suddenly, Percy said, "No ssssudden movements. Turn around very sssslowly," he whispered as if his life depended on it.

They turned and a green dragon like about 20 meters long. It cocked its head as if wondering if she was a meal. Then it roared and opened its mouth and she was sure fire was going to come out. But it wasn't that.

A jet of goo smacked her full on the face and she was down. Her face felt it was burning. She wiped off the goo but she felt nothing as if the flow of blood stopped. The numbness spread through her. A jet of water crashed on her but she couldn't even feel that. Her vision was blurring. Annabeth felt her veins were on fire. Great. The stupid goo was poisonous.

She could make out Clarisse standing over her, pouring ambrosia through her half-opened lips. Instantly, the numbness faded and the venom dissipated.

Annabeth sat up and saw Percy and the green dragon locked in combat. But another threat was approaching behind them. It was the storm dragon.

"PERCY! BEHIND YOU!" she cried out. Instead of saving his tail, Percy became confused which gave the two dragons time to crush him in between. The thing was time wasn't working in their favor.

Something teared through the air. The speeding dragons slowed as they came forward but they seemed to be trying hard to move. Annabeth could hear her breath slow steady. Somehow, Percy had been able to bend time.

Percy coughed up two fireballs and held it in both claws. Another ability Percy had that she had never noticed. He blew flames into the balls that became larger and brightened, humming with energy as the two dragons were almost about to collide with him. Percy threw one to each dragon now in real time. They exploded on contact and blasted them backward a 100 feet away.

Percy crumpled to the ground. Annabeth ran to his side. He stared at her tiredly. "Throat . . . . burns," he moaned. Percy coughed and wafted a smell like road kill. Totally. "Gross!" she cried, covering her face with her elbow.

"Can you stand?" she asked, Percy nodded and stood. He was cut and bleeding in many places, his breathing ragged. "We can't wait for more monsters to find us here. We need to keep on moving," she said.

The trio trudged on. The trees became further spread out and the woods ended. "Whoa!" Percy said. The scene was totally different from before. There was absolutely no snow and in the distance was the Golden Gate bridge.

"Where are we going now?" Clarisse asked. Annabeth straightened.

"We're going to pay a visit to my father."

**A/N: This took a while I have to admit. A part of it the wait was writing and rewriting several different scenes. The primary reason I haven't been updating lately is because I've been out lately having fun and working . . . a lot. If I wanted to write my story, I would have to do it late into the night and then I have to wake up early and ugh . . . its a mess. This summer is going to be busier than I thought. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all. I'm just paying around with the themes and characters from PJO.**

_**Percy Jackson and his Dragon Side**_

**Chapter 16: Dragon Blood**

**Percy**

After nearly bringing down the porch roof, Percy knocked on the door, shaking with the effort.

That time slowing thing took a lot out of him. A pounding headache made him weak and his throat seared painfully.

The door opened and there stood Dr. Chase sporting goggles and a buttoned shirt. Oh, and he had a gun in one hand and it was pointed straight at his face.

Percy expected he would scream and it would take a lot of explaining before they could calm him down. But Dr. Chase just stared.

"Curse these infernal night-goggles. I can't see a thing. Maybe I shouldn't have bought from that trader," he muttered to himself, wrenching the googles away from his eyes. This time, Dr. Chase screamed and fell on his butt, the gun fell out of his hand. Percy rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong dear?" asked a voice. Mrs. Chase, also sporting a gun stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them, flanked by Annabeth's half-brothers.

"Cool! Dad brought a crocodile! they both said in unison and ran forward but Mrs. Chase pulled them back.

Annabeth rushed past Percy flanked by Clarisse. At the sight of Annabeth, Dr. Chase relaxed then frowned.

"Sorry dad. I should have been the one to knock. This is Clarisse, daughter of Ares a friend back at camp," she said pointing at Clarisse who simply nodded.

Percy heard all of this while he tried get through the door, finally plopping onto the living room gasping for breath, his forked tongue flicking out feebly like a worn-out party whistle. Dr. Chase jumped back in fright.

He drew himself up, bumping his head on the cieling. Thankfully, his horns didn't get stuck but two newly made holes dominated the room.

"Sssssorry about that," he apoligized. "This going to take some explaining," said Annabeth.

**Annabeth**

Annabeth and her dad settled onto the sofa, not far from Percy who was being entertained by her half-brothers (her step-mom had fled off somewhere.) Clarisse had gone upstairs to her room.

Her brothers were quite interested in Percy and Annabeth had to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing. Percy was slowly losing his cool.

"Um, can you move my brothers elsewhere. Percy isn't happy," she asked. Dad jumped in fright and shooed away the kids to their rooms. Percy exhaled in relief causing a cloud that smelled like burning tires. "Thanksssss. I could barely contain mysssself," he hissed.

Dad tip-toed back. "Um, did you say that was Percy?" he said, pointing at him. "Yup," she replied as if having a reptile for a boyfriend was completely normal. Annabeth jumped to explaining everything to him about Percy forced to turn into a dragon every night. At this, he frowned but Annabeth continued with the quest, how they landed in a forest.

Dad steadied himself on the armrest to stop himself from trembling. "So this is your boyfriend," he said shakily, his knees were trembling. Annabeth could feel Percy's stare at the back of her head.

She leaned into his ear and spoke in the softest voice she could muster. "Trust me dad, I won't do nothing with him in that form. I promise," she assured him. Annabeth wasn't sure if she had convinced him.

Percy's stare was almost unbearable. He had heard.

"Can we stay the night if it isn't too much trouble?" she asked trying to give him a winning smile but it was unnecessary. "Of course," he replied. "You still have your room. Maybe your friend can stay there. As for Percy,"-he shivered. "He can stay here."

Dad set his cup of water on the floor. Percy, with a look of resignation, made himself comfortable. He stood, and turned in a full circle, swiping his tail over their heads, nocking pots to the ground.

Dad sighed and stood. "I have another shipment of Sopwith Camels, I'd better take a look," he said with a sign of finality. Without another word, he turned on his heels and left taking with him the cup of water. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. Shouldn't the shipment of Sopwith Camels be outside? It is much too big to fit in a house.

Right at that time, Clarisse shot like a bullet out of the bathroom and fled upstairs.

"What's wrong with her?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. Percy stared at her coldly. "I don't know. Ask her if it troubles you so much," he said in a mock voice.

She scoffed. " What's gotten into you?" she asked. In a perfect imitation of her voice, Percy repeated her words, "Trust me dad, I won't do anything with him in that form. I promise."

It chilled her blood, reminding her of the cyclops in brooklyn. Annabeth shook her head. Percy coughed so badly, fire eninamating from his mouth.

"Please just tell me how I can stop it. My throat burns. I'm sorry I got angry at you. Please," he said. Percy doubled over, coughing, clearly unable to speak anymore.

It came to her immediately like in those rare times something just clicked. "Gods, how could have I been so stupid. Eucalptyus leaves. That's what you need," she said. Percy did not respond but merely panted rapidly, hugging his muscular chest.

"Oh my gods, can you just stop panting. like that. It sounds like your making love to someone," she said. Instantely, he stopped and glared at her.

Smirking, Annabeth walked out the door. "Come along, Seaweed Brain," she said behind her. Percy sauntered after her. She ran ahead to the nearest eucalptyus tree and started tearing off the leaves one at a time.

With two fistfuls of eucalptyus, Annabeth found Percy at the edge of a lake, staring up at the moon. "I got the leaves," she said. Percy turned away from the moon and took a leaf.

Percy coiled up on the grass. Shining, scaly armor twisted, taught muscles bulging along his serpentine body. He flexed and released the held tension, stretching out into a more relaxed pose. Percy pulled his face into what was unmistakably a grin. Annabeth always thought dragons would have nasty teeth but Percy's teeth were pearly white like the moon. She had to wonder, do dragons have a gigantic toothbrush hidden in their scales?

"Annabeth you are a geniussss," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. Annabeth blushed, brushing away the hair from her eyes. Then it struck her, this was the first time they have been alone with each other since the disasterous talk at the hotel in Pensylvania. It still bothered her and so did the time-slowing ability.

Only Kronos could do that. Maybe Eidolons could do that too but it seemed far-fetched. Something much worse was going on here and it was taking a bit of Percy night by night. Annabeth stared hard into Percy's eyes looking for any trace of Titan in it but found nothing. She mentally shoved the subject out of her head.

Just sitting next to Percy was dangerous. He could just forget who he is and without the slightest notice, just bite off her head in a flash. Anyone with a little common sense would put as much distance from a dragon as possible. But she felt somehow relaxed.

Annabeth looked up at the Mountain of Despair. It had been calm lately and fortress-free. With a jolt, she sat up. "The fortress. It's not there anymore," she said. "What?" Percy asked in indignition. He stared up at the Mountain. "There's lot's of wreakage everywhere up there. A battle was fought there," he said, not even squinting a bit.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "You can see that far?" she said in amazement. Percy stared at her like she was stupid. "Dragons are predators. It makes sense that we should have sharp eyesight," he said.

Percy stared at her but this time, Annabeth didn't feel remotely scared. It was that gaze that almost pulled herself up to her feet.

She found herself studying his features. The perfectly chiseled muscles, his abs and chest, the horns that glinted in the moonlight, that regal calm that couldn't be matched. The heat eminating from his body lulled her. There was clear circle of snow around him.

A smile tugged at the corners of his jaw as if they had made a private joke. It was almost as if he knew what she was thinking.

Red-hot love flowed through her. Annabeth found herself saying, "Gods, your sexy." Percy hissed in delight. "I'm sssexy and I know it," he said, grinning. "No doubt about that," she replied. They burst into laughter. The little tension that remained disappeared.

A look a nervousment clouded the moment. "Do you really like me?" he asked timidly. The question surprised her. Percy had to know that she didn't just like him, she loved him. "You should have asked that when you were twelve," she said, laughing.

He regained his smile. "I didn't think that was a wise decision at the time. You gave that 'I'm too beautiful to like a guy like you' aura. You would beat me up in a public display to make an example."

"Right," she said, smirking. Annabeth didn't even remember how she thought of Percy when they were both 12 except that he drooled a lot in his sleep.

A scream rang out around them. Percy got up so fast, his tail passed inches away from breaking her jaw. For a humongous beast, he ran very fast. Annabeth ran to catch up, even so falling back. "Where are you going? Slow down!" she asked, stumbling. "It's your Dad," he said, not looking back, neither did he slow down.

It felt like a cold stone was sitting in her stomach. Had her dad been attacked by monsters already? He wouldn't be able to fight them off and what about the rest of her family?

Annabeth hoped Percy was wrong.

**Clarisse**

She slammed the door to Annabeth's room and plopped onto her bed. The room looked like it hadn't been used in months. Everything was neat and tidy.

Everything seemed to be going wrong in her head. After last night, Clarisse had no desire to talk to the other two. That dream bugged her to no end. She wanted to tell Annabeth only since they were both girls but there was no time to talk. And now with the whole 'Percy being a dragon' drama, Clarisse felt that she had had enough with dragons especially because of that dream.

She lay on her side, cradling her magic spear as if expecting to be attacked and that was the truth. Clarisse felt she had been missing something important in that dream. Clutching the spear close to her heart, she began replaying the dream in her head.

_*Flashback*_

_There was a gathering around the amphitheater at camp. Nothing unusaul. Just a normal singing and roasting marshmallows ceremony. Clarisse was very happy . . . . and very guilty. The ceremony was ending. The conch horn blew and everyone filed into their cabins, all except her. Sneaking out of line, she made her way to the forest. _

_A figure was waiting for her at the edge of the forest. His face was covered in shadow. The only thing that she could see was a thin olive-skinned arm stretched out, holding a black sword that was embedded in the ground. A skull ring glinted on his ring finger._

_"I've been waiting. Come," the figure said. His voice had an manly voice. Quite oily though. He pulled the sword out of the ground and extended his free hand to her. Clarisse took it and they tromped through the forest. Somehow, the figure knew where it was going. _

_"Were are you taking me?" her dream-self asked. "Somewhere where we won't be disturbed," the figure replied, not looking back. The trees began to become further apart. The figure stopped and turned to her. His face still was in shadow but she didn't care. _

_Wrapping her arms around him, they started to kiss. The figure, surprised by her gesture, didn't hold back. It was sweet love. He fell down, Clarisse on top of him. They continued to kiss with a new ferocity. They writhed on the ground, moaning in pleasure, his sword lay forgotten by them. _

_They finally pulled away, gasping for air. "Do you want to know my secret?" the man asked in his oily voice. "Sure," her dream-self said. Turning around, he began stripping himself of clothes. His black coat and skull T-shirt dropped to the ground. Pulling off his jeans until he was only in his underwear. Clarisse had to admit, he was skinny but well-muscled, the way she liked it._

_Stepping into the shadows, he dropping on all fours, groaning. There was a ripping sound and scraping. A dragon with scales as black as shadow appeared. The dragon lowered himself to the ground. "Hop on. I'll give you tour of the place," he asked, his voice inviting. She climbed on and they were off._

_Flying high into the sky, Clarisse screamed in delight. "Welcome to my world," said the dragon over the rushing wind. The lull of the heat enimating from his body, invited her. She put her face close to his scales and whispered, "I love you."_

She blinked herself up from the trance, shaking. Clarisse was sure of two things now.

1) She was in love with him, even more so than with Chris Rodriguez.

2) She had seen him before in real life.

And there was also something else she was sure about it. Someone was screaming.

**Annabeth**

Huffing and panting, they burst into the house. "Stay . . . here," she said to Percy. Annabeth ran up the stairs.

At the door, her two half-brothers cowered in fear. There was screams of anger. She moved silently towards the open door. "It's Dad, he . . ." Matthew stuttered. Annabeth jumped into the doorway with her knife ready and the sight wasn't pretty.

The room was a disaster. Papers were scattered across the floor, the tables were over turned, the beautiful models her dad created were in ruins. Her step-mom was holding a broom wielding like if it were a bow. And there, at the corner of the room was a brown dragon. Where was her Dad? She stared, transfixed at the dragon. It stared at her warily. Annabeth recognized something in those eyes, that shade of brown.

"Dad?" she said so quitely, not even she could hear it. Faster than she could move, the dragon lunged at her smacking into her and sent her flying to the wall. Annabeth slid to the ground groggily. The knife fell out of her hand. Ouch, that hurt.

A dark shadow covered her. Annabeth made the mistake to look up. Dad growled at her, gnashing his teeth at her. Her eyes moved towards the knife, directly under the dragon's belly.

Then it hit her. Monster or not this was her dad, somehow turned into this dragon. But on the other hand, he would kill her. It wasn't Dad anymore.

"I'm sorry Dad," she apoligized and she really meant it. Annabeth lunged at the knife but the dragon had expected that. Instead of attacking, he simply flicked it away.

They were now face-to-face. Her only weapon lay several yards away but she would be killed before she could lay a hand on that knife. Her Dad wasn't growling at her anymore but staring at her with interest.

And that was the moment Clarisse had to ruin the night. She wasn't sure if it was her barbaric nature influencing her but one thing was for sure. She had to stab her dad in the back. It wouldn't been a problem but her stupid spear had to be electric. As it was, the brown dragon writhed on the ground, screaming in absolute fury.

"Stop it!" she screamed, tackling Clarisse as the spear flew out of her hand. "What were you thinking?" she demanded, glaring at her. "But thats a dra-" "I KNOW! But thats my dad!" she yelled. "What?" she screamed back but they had no more time to talk as her dad came whaling down with a fist. They rolled out of the way.

Annabeth realized all the anger was directed to Clarisse. She couldn't keep evading him for so long and Annabeth had to stop her dad before Clarisse was flattened into a pizza. "Hey, dragon breath! Come find me!" she whipped on the yankees cap and vanished. She caught his attention all right. The brown dragon roared in fury. Anything that prevented him from taking his lunch had to be finished.

She ran back as a jet of flame blasted her way. It wasn't anywhere near her but she could feel the hot blast sing the little hair she had on her arm. Annabeth moved awayand she heard a clunk below her. It was the spear. The dragon had seen. A claw came down on her and it didn't miss. The claw raked open her face and the sheer force of it knocked her down.

Fire raged across her face as blood spilled onto her clothes. The last thing she remembered before she blacked out from the pain was Clarisse running out into the hallway, the dragon right behind her, yelling, "PERCY! I'm bringing the party to you!"

**Percy**

There he was, forced to sit tight while his girlfriend did the dangerous stuff. What was supposed be a restful night hopefully holding hands . . . err, claws in his case, with Annabeth, her dad attacked. Looks like he didn't want them to be together. The worst part of it was letting Annabeth confront the source of the screaming while he rotted down below. Well, he couldn't help it. Dragons aren't small.

Anyways, he was biting his talons in worry when Clarisse was running down the stairs yelling, "PERCY! I'm bringing the party to you!" A brown dragon was chasing after her blowing fire and the only reason she wasn't stir-fryed meat yet was because of the tight space the dragon had to get through.

She skidded into the hall beside him, spear at the ready. The dragon skidded to a halt, studying them.

The brown dragon turned to him and spoke in a hissy-kind-of-roar. "Give her to me. That human and I have to settle a few things," he hissed. Immediately, Percy understood him but he could tell it was a different language. Dragon-ish perhaps?

"Like that's going to happen pal," he said, rolling his eyes at him. Something had just occured to him. "Where's Annabeth?" he asked, turning on Clarisse. She began to look uncomfortable under the glare he was giving her. "She's didn't come back down," she admitted.

A feverish head-ache came down on him. Percy wanted so badly to find Annabeth but the brown dragon A.K.A. Annabeth's dad, was blocking the way.

Then the sight of her mangled body added to his panick.

Annabeth's half-brothers and step-mom trudged along the hall carrying her. Right at this moment, he wished he didn't have good eyesight. Her face was masked by blood. Four deep claw slashes seeping blood gleamed on her face, narrowly missing her eyes. Annabeth's blonde hair was matted with blood. Her invisibility cap hung loosely on her head.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed, pouncing on the dragon. Percy punched and clawed at him at every inch he could reach. Percy aimed to kill. "PERCY! Stop it!" yelled Clarisse but he ignored her. An arm tried to pull him back and he looked back. There was something in her face that he couldn't associate with mean punk girls, grief. "Do you think that killing him will gain anything? If Annabeth lives and she finds out you killed her dad, she would never want to see you again!"

The name Annabeth woke him up. This moment of distraction allowed the brown dragon to beat him off. It pounced, it's mouth wide open. He raised his claws and somehow caught him in mid-air. Forcing his mouth wide open. The brown dragon spit flames at him but he pushed it away from his face and arm yet keeping him in wrestlers hold.

"Get me the potion!" he commanded, flashing a glare. Clarisse must have known he needed it because the vial was in her hand. She threw it and her aim was perfect. Spear-throwing must have helped a lot. Percy caught it and threw it into the maw of the brown dragon, glass and all.

The dragon coughed and Percy released him. It tried to stand but it collapsed right back down. The scales began to disappear. His eyes returned to normal. It was happening so fast. Since whose he was watching the tranformation back to human, it looked almost scary. He wondered how scary the tranformation to a dragon look.

Percy wouldn't pay for the experience to see her girlfriend's father naked but he got it anyway. Percy wouldn't be able to look into Dr. Chase's eyes ever again.

"Don't tell me I killed my daughter," Dr. Chase moaned staring at him mournfully, then he fainted. He turned to Clarisse who was staring in absolute shock at the floor like, _Can you believe he lay naked over you? _

"Go help the rest of the family with Annabeth. Give her some ambrosia, as much as needed. Just keep her alive if she still lives. I got this," Percy said. His voice sounded unnaturaly hoarse and hollow. Clarisse grabbed the backpack and walked stiffly up the stairs. Seeing a guy naked must have affected her.

He waited until the footsteps of Clarisse seemed far enough. Percy squeazzed himself up the stairs finally busting into the scene of the crime. A tiny pool of old blood glistened in the corner.

He dashed into the room and found the place completely destroyed. Models were destroyed and . . . a cup of water. Percy grabbed it and drank it. It was unmistakable. The acidity level was worse than centaur blood. Dragon blood, just like he thought. _His blood._ Dr. Chase must have drank it immediately if he was still alive but why did he scream much later?

If Annabeth were here, she would have an answer immediately but after almost killing her dad, he wasn't sure if she would be with him anymore. His heart sunk deeper into the corners of his rib cage, if that is, the structure of dragons is similiar to humans. Annabeth would have an answer to that too.

Tears dripped down his jaw. He grabbed a table for support._ Stop it. She might just live, _said a tiny hopeful voice in his brain. _But what good would that do if she still finds out he would have killed his dad right there and then, _said the negative part of his brain. Percy threw the glass into the air and smashed it into a million pieces as a sailing fist punched it.

He was so angry, he began to destroy the place. Percy reduced the tables to bits, spitting flame all over the place, roaring in fury. It was short-lived and he simply crumpled back onto the floor, crying his eyes out.

"Oh, Annabeth. I'm sssso sssorry," he whispered. Something in the corner of his eye grabbed his attention but it had disappeared. Someone very familiar had been standing out on the windowsill watching him. His eyes did not decieve him. Percy stood and went out to the window. He looked around but found nothing. But he noticed one thing.

The sun was rising in the horizon, the gold of the sun's light reflecting on his sea-green eyes. The warmth was stronger than usaul as he shrank back into human form.

Time was a-wasting and he planned to go to sleep. It had been a long night for the Chase's and him. Clarisse as well. Percy looked around for clothes in the cabinets but found only safety suits. Why would Dr. Chase have safety suits? It's not like his work was dangerous, was it?

Percy didn't know much about the house but he finally found Dr. Chases room grabbing any clothes that he could find and hurried off to dress him. Until he was about done, did he realize that he still had no clothes. Funny, that was the first thing he would have noticed when he would change back.

He searched in Dr. Chase's room but all the clothes were much too big for him. Matthew's room? defintely not. The only person who was close to his clothes size was . . .

He rushed down into Annabeth's room. Percy walked slowly into the room feeling like a trespasser but he still had look around. Several books lay open. History books, maps, newspapers, and many fantasy books lay open. Annabeth was interested in fantasy? He had never known.

And on a desk lay a travel book, flipped to a picture of the Colleseum in Rome. At the corner of the picture written in Annabeth's neat handwriting said, _Danger! Stay away!_ Next time he was with Annabeth, Percy was going to ask her about that.

Percy digged threw her clothes. Whenever he touched a bra or underwear, he recoiled in destaste. He found a pair of jeans and a white-and-blue vertical striped buttoned shirt. As for underwear, Percy had no choice but to go up to Mrs. Chase's room. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Annabeth lay on a bed, plastered with Band-Aids. He didn't know what possessed him to say to Mrs. Chase, "If your people worship dragons then why did you try to kill one especially that it happened to be your husband?" Instead of getting angry, she simply cried and ran from the room.

"Percy?" moaned a voice. He turned. Annabeth was staring at him through her Band-Aids and it wasn't exactly friendly. Those storm gray-eyes made him nervous.

Annabeth stared at him with a calculating look, pulling out his secrets. She raised an eyebrow. "Are those my clothes?" she asked. He nodded mutely. She heaved a big sigh. "There is one thing I learned today. Never try to tame a dragon's heart."

Percy was feeling guiltier than ever. He had a dragon's heart and it almost killed her dad. Annabeth kept staring and he had strong urge to run out of that room.

"Is my dad okay?" she whispered. "Back to human form and clothed," he said, trying to sound upbeat. Clarisse snorted. "Not what I saw. He almost killed your dad when he saw you all bloody. I stopped him just in time."

His heart hid up in his throat. Annabeth stared at him in shock. "WHAT?" she yelled. Percy stepped back in fear. "I'm really sorry," he said.

She turned to her half-brothers. "You should join your mom," she said nicely but her tone suggested that she expected to be obeyed. Percy shrunk.

Annabeth sat up and ripped off the Band-Aids. "You just couldn't control yourself. I thought you were stronger than this," she said, her anger clearly mounting.

"You should've seen how you looked," he replied definsively. "That doesn't mean you should go almost killing my dad. You could have tried to make him see sense or do all dragons like to kill?" she said, glaring at him. Percy winced and he caught Clarisse smirking.

"_You_," he snarled at her. Percy charged but a fist punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Bending over, a knee came from below and he collapsed in a heap, spurting blood from his nose.

"I hate you," Annabeth said scathingly and the two girls left the room. The words echoed in his head.

There he was, laying in a pitiful heap. His worst fears had come true. Percy wished he had died so that he wouldn't have had to feel as if the world had been pulled out from under his feet, falling and falling.

Percy fell unconscious in the mist of a tragedy, hopefully waking up to something better than the feeling of guilt he was experiencing.

But like all things in a demigod's life, that wasn't possible.

**A/N: That was quite a cliffhanger. I got that skill from *Cough* Mark of Athena. Anyways, next chapter may take a while.**


End file.
